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| Peace, be still! |
Mark 4:33-41
NKJV 33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able
to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they
were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
35 On the
same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the
other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in
the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great
windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already
filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and
said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 Then He arose
and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind
ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so
fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and
said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
From this
passage of Scripture, Jesus and His disciples have had a day of ministry, as Jesus taught on the parables of the kingdom, He taught those who followed Him! In this they are on to the next place of ministry. Ultimately they went where He commanded, and He gave
the command to go to the other side.
But as is
in this journey of life, we find sometimes that doing something Jesus commands, you and I can see a storm appear. On this evening a windstorm arose and
those waves of water beat into the boat. It is a serious matter when the water
is joining you in the boat you are riding in to get to dry land. Then when these men
saw those things, and they heard the sound of them as they grew in size to make a
splash within the dry boat. And the wind made that sound when it is bearing down over the land and sea. Then, because they are moved by their emotions,
they consider the prospect of their sudden death they might likely experience since this stormy circumstance has
appeared to them!
Aware of their
likely end in the sea of Galilee and being ruled by their emotions, they call on Jesus and not only that they call
on the Teacher loudly to proclaim, “Do You not care that we are perishing?”
It was
then that Jesus arose and addressed the wind by rebuking it and in His speaking
to the sea His authority ruled by that “Peace, be still!” Then the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Then Jesus who spoke to them as He did the wind, “Why are you so
fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
Yes, there
appeared on this journey of life a storm. It was a described circumstance and
it vividly declared their emotions in their speaking: “Teacher, do You not care
that we are perishing?”
Do we have emotions that declare they rule us from our heart?
In those
hours before this storm, Jesus had prepared them, not only on that day but all
the previous days they had followed Him. He had exhorted them this day to hear in Mark 4:23 “If
anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. 24 …….”take heed what you hear. With the
same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will
be given. 25 “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not
have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Jesus was
appealing to their spiritual perception. For those who receive His teachings
and assimilate truth, will have their capacity for understanding enlarged, and
their knowledge will be increased.
We are the
converted, not living by our emotions anymore, but living by the spiritual in
Christ Jesus. We are alive in Christ and we are heirs of salvation. We are free
from spiritual bondage. We are responsible for what we have been given.
We find
Nicodemus who came to see Jesus in the night hours and spoke with Him. Of
course he was moved by the signs and they are assuredly those who added to the
life of the human receiving them. It shows the goodness of God to those
living in the shadow of death.
John
3:1-8 NKJV There was a man of
the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus
by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from
God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless
one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said
to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time
into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to
you, "You must be born again." 8 The wind blows where it wishes,
and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it
goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus thought on the physical level and not the
spiritual aspect of life in God. Upon our repentance of the old man, we become
the believer in Jesus, the manifested word of God. Through Him we have the
relationship in the spiritual and it is our beginning into the kingdom of God.
Jesus spoke: “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but
cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born
of the Spirit.”
So if we are headed down that journey of life with Jesus
enthroned on our hearts, will we sound like the disciples in this event of a
storm that takes one by surprise, that causes emotions to rise like a flood
over us and then be overwhelmed to the point of the fear of “death”?
Ephesians 3:17-21 NKJV 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the
saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love
of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21
to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and
ever. Amen.
Christ
must dwell in our hearts and through faith, we are daily rooted and grounded in
His love. In that walk we understand the width, length, depth and height of
that love that we would be filled with all the fullness of God. No circumstance
should overtake us, nor should emotions master us for our spiritual awareness is
a faith in God who gave us His Best. Knowing His love is anchoring us in a hope that Jesus came and will come again to be at home with Him. It also marked us in a life that is long in the goodness of God for His glory and we cannot glorify Him if we live with no faith in Him!
Yes, most
likely some kind of storm will pass by your pathway, but be rooted and grounded
in Jesus. Know what is possible to you when all other things and people speak the impossible against you.
Death and
life are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) Do not let your emotions
rule your future. Even Satan can quote scriptures, but it is the Holy Spirit
that makes God’s Word relevant in love to you the receiver. You are born again.
Born again to know the Father through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit you rise to
the position God destined you to be in. You were always meant to know truth,
not a watered-down message but truth that always makes a point to the born
again man and how he operates in the kingdom of God! Walking firmly in His
commands, we dwell in His doctrine, the word manifested that comprises peace. Today
we allow the Holy Spirit to rule in our hearts which we were called in one body
and to be thankful and within that, whatever storms occur, we hold on in faith
to Christ’s thoughts. And that which is within us will rule our emotions that are harnessed into the
truth of God that keeps us safe. We continue to grow into the matured man or woman of
God exercising authority on the earth speaking: “Peace, be still!”
New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
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