Rest For A Weary Soul Daily Devotional - Saturday, October 17, 2009
Praise the Lord and Good Afternoon,
I know it's not a weekday....but I've been sitting here in my office thinking, praying and reading. I was thinking about a situation and how the Lord is in it with me. I thought about the scripture text of how Jesus was in a boat with his disciples while in the midst of a horrific storm. Jesus was asleep. He was the only one asleep. Everyone else was in a great state of concern regarding the storm.
I thought about my situation and the great state of concern I have regarding the storm. Now I know Jesus is with me......but the storm, Lord. What about the storm? I'm feeling every inch of the rains and winds and rocking and shaking....and, and, and....and yet Jesus is not disturbed. He knows what is going on.....He's not oblivious to it....He was aware of it before you and I even knew it would be. There was no need for Him to be alarmed.....yes, we know the story well. The longer I live, the more in awe I am of the Lord. Have you ever felt the gnawing fear that your boat's about to sink. There's an urgency for help....looking everywhere, anywhere and at anyone who might help. And then have to wake Jesus us in the middle of a storm? How could He be asleep at a time like this?
Have you ever been in a situation where you want everyone to stand at attention because this is Serious? This is not the time to sleep (or so we think).....We levy assaults on the Lord....if You cared, the last thing You would be is Asleep!! Make a move right now and DO something.
I'm so glad the Lord put this lesson in the scriptures......it speaks of the realness of His disciples (us).... they had Jesus with them. They'd experienced Him working miracles before and yet, when things got bad, they got scared....they knew where He was and what He was doing....How can you sleep at a time like this? Save us. And this is the interesting part.....they asked Jesus to save them from the storm! They weren't asking Him to wake up to participate in their fear....they had an expectation that He could do something about it....otherwise they wouldn't have said, "save us; we perish." For me this translates into "Do something."
Jesus gets up and asks why are you so fearful? (Storm is about to take us down.....) Where is your faith? Now to me this is where it made no sense to me....they seemed to have some faith.....they asked Jesus to save them from the storm. And when He does they are shocked. But isn't that like us....we pray for God to move and when He does, we stand amazed. If we are praying in faith believing, then there should be no shock at God moving.....He did what they asked Him to do...save them from the storm. Perhaps it was how He saved them that threw them for a loop.....but isn't that like us....Lord, do this, that and the other....and He does it (in a manner that we didn't consider)....the Bible doesn't detail how they expected Him to save them....but they were stunned when Jesus spoke to the very winds and sea and said stop....and calm fell on the waters and the winds ceased. Who do you expect to show up when you call on Jesus? Why be in shock if you had faith to begin with....and for me, I understood the disciples (now us) had faith enough to call Him (with the expecation that He would do something) but fearful enough to say, we're about to die.
You'd think Jesus would have said it was a good thing that you believed enough to call me when you saw the need. But He rebuked them because they thought they were going to die and then they were surprised when He did save them. O ye of little faith? Their faith should have been bigger than it was......and Jesus called them on the carpet for that. What about you and I? We've seen enough of the Lord working to have more faith than we exhibit....sure, these were the disciples and they exhibited some faith.....but they had room to grow in their faith and that is what Jesus rebuked....o, ye of little faith!
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. 25) And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26) And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? The he arose, and rebuked the winds and teh sea; and there was a great calm. 27) but the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! (Matthew 8:24-27 KJV)
In the Master's Service,
Pastor Michele D. Turner
Rehoboth Apostolic Ministries, Inc.
Author/Publisher of Rest For A Weary Soul Daily Devotional
Copyright 2005 - 2009 www.restforawearysoul.com
Email: restforwearysoul@aol.com
Matt 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
