Thursday, October 20
Remember and believe
Scripture: Ezekiel 33-34, Mark 4
Mark 4:35–41 On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
Observation
“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
On the surface, those are ridiculous questions! Why are you afraid? “We’re in a storm about to be capsized and drowned!” Do you still have no faith? “What does faith have to do with it?”
Everything.
Do they believe what Jesus said and who Jesus is?
Jesus said, “Let’s cross over to the other side.” Do they believe that what He said was going to happen, or that they were to going to die in a boating accident?
Jesus is the Son of God. Do they believe that, or that God was going to lose His Son in a boating accident?
In the midst of the storm, they forgot what Jesus said and who Jesus is.
Application
James said that trials of many kinds test our faith (James 1:2-3). In the midst of our storm, do we remember and believe what Jesus said and who He is? Do I remember and believe His promises to me? Do I remember and believe that Jesus, the Son of God, is in my boat? If I do, I don’t need to panic…just trust.
Prayer: Lord, increase my faith. When I’m feeling doubt, fear, anxiety…remind me again of Who You are and what You said so I can believe. Remember and believe.