Faith Is The ONLY Antidote To Conquering the Vast Amount Of Fear That’s Currently In Our World!

26 Mar 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 4:40.       And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

And then it was Wednesday, our second wind day, but the weather is certainly strange. Earlier on, there was some sunshine with clouds in the background, then some small white pieces of stuff began falling, then that went away after a few minutes, then the sun came out, then the clouds took over. Right now, at midday, it’s a mixture of cloud and sun, with who knows what’s going to happen next. 

But that’s why we’re ever so glad to have Jesus! I say it every day, because whatever comes our way, whether it’s weatherwise or finances or sickness, or anything the evil and ungodly world throws at us, with Jesus at our helm, we will be able to navigate through it successfully, because He is the Navigator of All Navigators! Rocks and storms and strong winds or anything else are no problem for Him, because He is the One that created them all, and consequently can control them however He wants to. 

Remember that marvellous and miraculous moment when Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat as He crossed the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, when a big storm rose up and threatened to sink the boat, but Jesus remained calmly sleeping. The disciples in great fear, woke him up, asking ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:38-40) 

Now friends, that’s exactly what Jesus is asking of many of us in these tough and turbulent times because we are sorely afraid of what’s happening around us and what might happen to us. But if you are a true child of God, there’s no need to fear, for He’s promised to look after us, satisfy all of our needs, and to work everything out for our own good. And if you don’t believe me, then listen to these scriptures that promise divine aid and intervention. First off in Isaiah, the Lord Promises: ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.’ (Is. 41:10) What more do we want eh my people? 

Then there’s this other promise: ‘But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ.’ (Phil. 4:19) What’s in that that we don’t understand eh? Then we have the granddaddy of all promises: ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that LOVE God, to them who are called according to his purpose.’ (Rom. 8:28) Now, He doesn’t say that we will never have any problems, but in the end, He will work out all those tough times and things for our good. We just have to be strong, faithful, patient and persevering despite what comes against us, knowing that our great and wonderful God is always with us, wherever we go. 

And that’s one of the oldest promises in the Bible, for Moses encouraged the Israelites thus before he gave up the leadership of the group to Joshua. ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And the Lord also pounded it into the ears of Joshua when He made him the leader of the Israelites after the death of Moses. You can read that very clearly in Joshua 1:7-9. So that’s nothing new, we should all be well aware, believe and expect the Lord to be with us at ALL TIMES! 

And would you believe that the words or idea of ‘do not fear,’ occur very often in the Bible, because we still have that latent fear of life, of the devil and all his accomplices, despite the many assurances of God to hold the opposite emotion of faith. That brings us to this most telling exhortation from Bruh Paul to Timothy, and rebuke to us, who should know better. He steadfastly proclaims: ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of LOVE, and of a sound (disciplined) mind.’  (2 Tim. 1:7)

So why is there so much fear today amongst supposed believers eh, if we weren’t given a spirit of fear by our God but one of strong faith, etc. etc.? Who knows? I guess we all have to speak for ourselves, but to my mind, too many of us have not reached that level of spiritual maturity where we stop being afraid of what the world and all its cohorts can do to us. Oh yes, we are concerned and do our best to help ourselves, but in the long run our help all comes from the God who LOVED us so much back in olden times, and still LOVES us a whole lot today, despite our disobedience and rebellious ways, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom. 5:8) 

Now, that ought to tell us a lot about the wonderful nature and character of our God. But I guess it doesn’t, else we would not be behaving in the fearful and ungodly manner in which we’re currently behaving. For if we were not fearful and afraid, the devil would not be holding the world in as tight a stranglehold as he is right now. That alone shows how fearful and afraid we supposed believers are, otherwise we’d be out there fighting the devil and his evil doings mano a mano, step for step, and winning the battle, because we have the victory already assured by Jesus, we only have to keep it going. 

And there’s no better verse of scripture to encourage us than this one from Christ Himself. ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) Wow mih bredrin! What encouragement and reassurance it ought to be knowing that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus has already overcome the evil world of Satan, and there’s no need for us to live in fear, but in faith and in His peace. 

Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail to all sundry, letting them know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And if you truly believe, then it’s also been promised that if we endure to the end with Christ, that future will be even more glorious than we can ask or imagine. So, let’s pledge to meet there at the very end and enjoy that more than glorious future together nuh! Much LOVE!

…when fear comes calling…send faith to answer…because faith is the only antidote for fear…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Best Refuge for Stormy Weather is Jesus!

02 Feb 2025 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 4:40.       And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Sunday, Sunday, most welcome Sunday! That blessed time for believers to gather in the Lord’s sanctuary and observe His special day with praise, worship, joy and thanksgiving! And that’s a must, especially in these turbulent and tempestuous last days, because fellowship with God and with others, renews our faith, restores our confidence and gives us the vim and vigour we so desperately need to get out into our troubled and evil world and do the very important work that Jesus desires of us, as stated in our Great Commission: 

‘Go ye therefore, and teach (make disciples of) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:19-20) And from the very chaotic state of our world, it’s obvious we haven’t being our duty to the best of our ability, that’s why we need to regain our focus and start taking the battle to the enemy, instead of waiting for him to come to us. Remember, the best act of defence is strong offense. 

So, today, we’re going to open our worship session with a very appropriate song for these tempestuous times, titled, ‘The Tempest is Raging!’ It’s a Mary A Baker composition, wonderfully done by the Chicago Gospel Artist, Jessy Dixon in concert with the Bill and Gloria Gaither Homecoming Ensemble. So, without further ado, let’s open our hearts, mouths and voices in sweet sacrifices of praise, as we render a most soulful and heart rending version of this marvelous song. 

Singing: ‘Master, the tempest is raging, Oh, The billows are tossing high The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness Oh, No shelter, no shelter or help is nigh – Carest thou not that we perish? How canst you lie, How canst thou lie there asleep When it seems like each moment so madly is threatening, Oh A grave. a grave, a grave in the angry deep? 

Get up Jesus because! The winds and the waves shall obey thy will. All you got to say is, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still. Whether the wrath, the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, Or demons, or evil  men, or whatever it be No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, be still They all shall sweetly obey thy will, If You say, Peace, peace, peace, be still. 

The Lord will give you peace, He wants to give you peace, In the midnight hour, When there’s nobody else there, God will give you peace, When you feel lonely, You have someone who will give you perfect peace. He‘ll be your friend, Yes He will, The Lord will give you peace, If you’re looking for peace, in all of your needs, in all of your days, get down on your knees and talk to Jesus, Yes talk to Jesus. Yes whenever the Lord says, there will be peace, there will be peace, For He knew it, yes He knew it, Peace, be still, Peace, be still, Peace, be still Peace, be still…..’ 

Oh that was wonderful my fellow believers! And yuh know why, because it truly evoked the tempestuousness of the times we’re living in, as well as the unsettled and unpeaceful situations in so many of our own personal lives. And the only way to handle both a tempestuous world and a tempestuous personal life is by having Jesus as Lord and Saviour and clinging tightly to Him. For remember, He is the Prince of Peace! (Is. 9:6) And ONLY He can calm the storms in our world and in our own lives. Or as the song says, ‘No water can swallow the ship wherein lies The Master of the ocean, the earth and sky.’   

And we all know the story on which the song is so competently based. Mark tells it thus: ‘And the same day, (Jesus, after speaking in parables to the multitudes), when the even (evening) was come, he saith unto them (the disciples), Let us pass (cross) over unto the other side. (The other side of the sea of Galilee). And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). 

And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part of the ship (the stern), asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master (Teacher), carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the winds and the sea obey him.’ (Mark 4:35-41) 

And that last question is an easy one to answer. The wind and sea obey Him because like us, He is their Creator and Controller and sets their boundaries and directions. Meanwhile, as per Jesus’ question to the disciples about their lack of faith, the scholars tell us that ‘Jesus constantly questions in order to spur people to deeper trust.’ And since many of us can use a sense of deeper trust in these tough times, we should possibly ask that question of ourselves right now: why is our faith not as great as it ought to be? And then turn to the Lord and ask for it to increase. (smile) 

Now, let’s end on this note of encouragement from an article by Wilfred Graves on the subject of ‘Peace be still.’ He writes: ‘In our text, Jesus reveals his authority and power over nature by bringing order to a chaotic situation.  He says to a raging storm, “Peace, be still!”  Immediately, the winds and waves obey his command. No matter what you may be going through in your life right now, the Lord can speak peace to your situation. 

When the storms of life come your way, you can put your trust in the Lord and He will sustain you. He is always with you and He will never leave nor forsake you. The Lord will either quiet the storm that you are in or He will bring you successfully through the storm. Sometimes God saves us from trouble; sometimes he saves us in trouble. In either case, divine help comes to those who put their trust in the Lord’s saving power.’ 

Oh friends, I could not have said it any better. So let’s take those words of encouragement to heart nuh! Much LOVE!

…in times of storm…Jesus is the ONLY answer…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   23 July 2023 Mark 4:41.

23 Jul 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 4:41.        And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Another Sunday my fellow believers; another Sabbath Day to gather in fellowship in the Lord’s sanctuary and worship Him with great gratitude and humbleness of heart! And I guess these Sundays seem to come around so quickly because our heavenly Father knows how badly we need them to keep up our strength, faith and confidence in Him during these troubled and trying times. And renewing our trust and faithfulness in Almighty God is indeed one of the many benefits of attending church on the Sabbath. Giving Him thanks and praise through our worship celebrations is also one more purpose for believers gathering on the Lord’s Day. 

Now, let’s begin the proceedings, by getting into worship mode right away, offering up sweet sacrifices of praise with some West Indian music, the sweetest gospel music there is (smile). It’s a reggae tune we all know and LOVE, popularized by the Jamaican gospel artist George Nooks and aptly titled, ‘Ride Out Your Storm.’ So, as one harmonious voice my people, let’s sing up a storm this Sunday morning! 

The Intro simply says: ‘Don’t give up…yeah just ride out your storm.’ Then we break into song: ‘You’ve been in the storm and it seems like forever. And your nights of confusion have been too long. Your ship has lost anchor, and the storm’s got you drifting. Just hold on to Jesus And ride out your storm (Chorus: Ride out your storm, God is there with you, you may not feel him, but you’re not alone. You’re hurting now, but your morning is coming…Lord have mercy, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm) 

Remember His promise, He said I’ll never forsake you, though the waters are troubled, they’ll do you no harm. Don’t give up the battle for your answer is coming, just hold on to Jesus, hold on to Jesus, and just ride out your storm. (Chorus: Ride out your storm God is still there with you, you may not feel him but you’re not alone. I know you’re hurting now but your morning is coming, Lord have mercy, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm. 

Oh Ride out your storm God is there with you, you may not feel him, but you’re not alone. Although you’re hurting now, your morning is coming, just hold on to Jesus and ride out your storm. You know He’ll never leave you, so just hold on to Jesus, and just ride out your storm. Hold on to Jesus, and ride out your storm.’ 

Pretty music mih people, all heaven was singing and dancing with us too! Wow! And the song simply tells us the basic truth of accepting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and thus surrendering our lives to Him; that He’ll never leave nor forsake us. And He’s said it several times. For example, right from the very beginning He had Moses reassure the Israelites thus: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee: he will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Deut.31:5) 

Then Moses said the same thing to Joshua personally before the whole Israelite camp. (Deut. 31:8). Then at the very beginning of Joshua’s leadership of the Israelites, after the death of Moses, the Lord told him the same thing. ‘There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’ (Josh. 1:5) And all down throughout the Old Testament, we see the Lord encouraging those whom He asked to do His bidding, and also empowering them to do it. 

Then, in the New Testament, Jesus, while giving out the Great Commission faithfully promised the disciples and us: ‘…and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.’ (Matt. 28:20b) Now doesn’t that stand for, or mean anything to us? It surely should! And later on, the author of Hebrews reiterates the sentiment: ‘…for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’ (Heb. 13:5b) Don’t know how much more assurance we need before we believe and react courageously. 

And, as per helping us to ride out our storms in times of trouble and sickness, there’s no one better at doing that than Jesus, for He is the original Storm Calmer! And you cannot get a better example of Jesus’ skills as a calmer of storms than this one when He was crossing the sea of Galilee with the disciples and a great storm suddenly arose, but Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat oblivious to it all. 

But when the boat started taking in water and it seemed like they would drown, the scared disciples woke Jesus and said to Him: ‘Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he (Jesus) said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:38-40) 

And my fellow believers, that’s the same question Christ is asking all of us today: how come our faith is so small that we are constantly afraid of the storms of life, when we have Him to protect us from them, to calm them and/or to help us ride them out? Too many of us display the reaction the disciples displayed on that fateful day. ‘And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:41) Well, He is the man who originally created the winds and the seas, and still controls them, so they just naturally obey Him, like we who claim to believe in Him ought also to do! 

Oh my fellow saints, especially in what looks like the last days, we need to have great faith and courage in Jesus, if we hope to make it through. We need to remember that Jesus is our Be All and End All: That we can do all things through Him who strengthens us, (Phil. 4:13) and that He will provide all of our needs according to his riches in glory. (Phil. 4:19) And that the Lord will eventually work out everything for good to those who LOVE Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28) 

These are some of the scriptures we must have written indelibly in our hearts, so that we can remember them in times of need and have them boost our faith. That’s the only way we’ll live the abundant and successful life that Jesus died for us to have! Much LOVE!

…in the storms of life…JESUS…is the first name that should roll off our tongue…

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ            

Today’s Scrip-Bit   3 March 2023 Mark 5:34.

03 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 5:34.       And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague (affliction).

At long last it’s Friday, the end of our work week, and a lot of voices have this morning chorused: ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ But I wonder if many of them in the Greater Toronto Area will be mouthing that platitude this evening on their commute home? Why you ask? Because another big snow storm is scheduled to begin around the time of the drive home. Can you imagine the bell ringing for the end of the day’s work, and all those workers hustling to exit their daytime slave quarters for a two day break, only to be met by a tantrum of snow blowing dangerously in a blustering wind? 

Yes, it will produce chaos. But let’s hope we use common sense and caution, with prayer and thanksgiving as we fight our way home this Friday evening. Yes, Lord, I pray that those of us caught in the storm this evening will raise the level of their faith, or simply show their faith, and turn to You and sincerely ask You to safely guide them home, because You are ONLY ONE with the awesome wisdom, knowledge and power to do it. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen! 

Ah friends, the evening hours will prove a testing ground for both the fate and faith of many, because ploughing through the deep, heavy snow, ofttimes with poor visibility, always requires a new leap of faith, regardless of how strong our faith already is. I can personally attest to that since I got caught in a terrible one last year. I got stuck in the snow three times on my way home; once on the highway; that took me about fifteen minutes to extricate myself from the snowbank. Then about a half mile from home; that one needed a tow truck to get me out, and the final one right in my own driveway. Hn, hn, hn! I can laugh now, but that Monday morning was indeed a day from hell. (smile) 

And since we’re talking about faith and Jesus today, there’s no better time than right now to discuss His awesome showing of faith in that terrible storm that almost destroyed their boat when crossing the sea of Galilee. While Jesus and His disciples were on the sea, the gospel of Mark tells us: ‘And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full (already filling). And he (Jesus) was in the hinder part (the stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith. And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:37-41) Yes my faithful brethren, the wind and the sea obeyed Jesus because He was the One who created them! 

And we always tend to denigrate the disciples’ level of faith, thinking that because they had seen Jesus perform all sorts of miracles, they ought to have been less fearful. But friends, let’s remember that they were mostly young men, and most of them, most likely couldn’t swim. And I’m chuckling here now, because I also know about the perilous trials of storms on the water. Brother! Have I ever lived a full, interesting, sometimes dangerous, but certainly blessed life! 

I experienced  that storm out on Lake Ontario many years ago in a small boat, when I wasn’t as God- fearing as I am now, with some drunken friends, who were even less God-fearing than me, but were so scared, that they ended up praying too. But, for whatever reason, the Lord pulled us through. And believe me, He most certainly DID! Nothing, or no One else could have pulled us through that monumental storm. I guess He knew that if He allowed us to go under, I wouldn’t be around to fulfill His plan of writing the Bit. (smile) 

What’s amusing though is that I used to see Lake Ontario kicking up on the shore and figured it was just a joke lake, nothing like the ocean that I was accustomed to, and wondered how so many ships could be sunk in those waters. But that night I found out how it could happen. And strangely enough, one of my most significant takes from that experience is actually experiencing the ‘shivering of the timbers.’ I had often read those words in stories of the sea, but until that fateful night, never really knew what it meant. 

Take it from me, please hope to never experience it in real life, for when the little boat climbed the fifteen or twenty foot waves on the lake, then plunged down into the trough on the other side, the timbers of the boat did shiver like a fevered man! And so did we inside it! Now, because I know what it’s like to be caught on the water in a terrible storm, I don’t denigrate the disciples’ fate as much as some people do. 

That brings us to the story of Jairus, the synagogue leader who came to Jesus to save his dying daughter. While going with him to his home, this woman who had had an issue of blood (a blood flow) for 12 years but could find no relief through physicians or other treatments, heard that Jesus was passing through and decided to go and see Him, ‘For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.’ (Mark. 5:28) So she pushed through the crowd and touched the hem of His shawl. ‘And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of the plague (affliction). 

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue (power) had gone out of him, turned him about in the press (crowd), and said, Who touched my clothes? And the disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague (affliction).’ (Mark 5:29-34) 

Oh my fellow saints, that’s the kind of faith we need to have in these turbulent and disastrous times! Faith that causes us to push through whatever comes against us to reach to Jesus! But it all begins with prayer. So, as one strong and sincere voice, let’s offer up our Friday Chant, in faithful communication with heaven. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through this past week. You know it’s been rough… what with all the confusion and anxiety caused by the pandemic and our many other serious problems. We can’t fix them on our own Lord, so we desperately need your help. 

Oh heavenly Father, with your omnipotent help, and our trusting faith, we know that we can stand strong and steadfast and defeat the simmering unrest in our land. So Lord, we sincerely ask you today to give those involved in the forefront of this serious and unexpected storm, the wise guidance to handle the situation properly, without further serious setbacks. And please help those of us who must go out to work amidst all the confusion, to be responsible and to stay safe. 

And Lord, we fervently pray that You’ll use this situation to return backsliders to your fold, show them the error of their ways. And please introduce a new flock of believers, who will embrace your LOVE and compassion by the example, we, your faithful believers set. Yes Lord, please use this pandemic, the bubbling discontent and dissatisfaction in our land, as a means of restoring faith in You, so that our sinful world can wake up and smell the coffee, wake up and smell it sweet and strong! We pray this in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen!’

 Now, it’s time to action our faith; let it come to the forefront and do the things we’ve promised. Much LOVE!

…one can only have faith…when one first believes…  

P.S. Please forgive the Bit for being somewhat late and long. But I believe it certainly makes up for those shortcomings. (smile) Much LOVE!

 Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ   

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 September 2020 Mark 4:41.

15 Sep 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mark 4:41.     ​What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?​

‘I am under the rock…the rock is higher than I, Jahovah hides me! Yes, I am under the rock…the rock is higher than I, Jahovah hides me… I am under the rock!’ Oh mih people, mih people, I sure hope you all are under the rock with me yes, because when the storms of life come howling through, as they most certainly will, and are currently doing, under the rock that’s Jesus, in the shelter of His safe, LOVING and comforting arms, is the only place that true refuge can be found! Why? Because He is the ONLY one who can calm those hungry angry winds of the storm! 

Case in point; the evening Jesus and His disciples were in the boat crossing over the to the other side and a most fearsome storm arose, so that it threatened the lives of those on the water. But where was Jesus eh? Mark says: ‘And he was in the hinder part (the stern) of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto him, Master, carest not thou that we perish?’ (Mark 4:38) Doesn’t that just make you chuckle? This great storm is happening, the boat is tossing and turning, most likely taking in water, but our wonderful Lord and Saviour is in the back of the boat quietly and serenely snoozing away like nothing is happening. 

But Jesus knew exactly what was happening and knew exactly what He would do. So Mark continues: ‘And he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?’ (Mark 4:39-40) And that’s exactly what He’s saying to us in these trying and very troubled times my people: Where is your faith eh? The faith you talk about so much when things are going well, but seem to lose when times get tough. 

And what was the disciples’ reaction to all that eh? ‘And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this (who can this be), that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:41) Oh my people, it was the Creator of the wind and the sea, so that’s why they obeyed Him! But unfortunately, although the disciples had seen Jesus do other miracles, their faith in the actual time of storm was not good enough. But that’s how Jesus operates; often questioning us in order to spur us on to deeper trust and faith. 

And the scholars offer an interesting explanation of the scriptures here: ‘4:35-5:43. Jesus takes His disciples from the classroom to the laboratory. Having just taught that God’s power will cause His kingdom to grow to worldwide proportion and influence – the parable of the mustard seed – (4:30-32), Jesus now performs four miracles that demonstrate this divine might. God’s power is seen overcoming (1) the danger of a storm (4:35-41); (2) demons in a victim possessed (5:1-20); (3) disease in a woman physically ravished (5:21-34); and (4) the death of a little girl (5:35-43).’ 

But friends, we can’t be too hard on the disciples nuh, for as the scholars further state: ‘4:41. The fear must have been a mixture of reverential awe and real fright – it would be chillingly eerie to witness the instantaneous dissipation of a violent storm.’ And so it surely would be to all of us, regardless of how much we knew about Jesus’ divine might! But as Sister Joyce (Joyce Meyer says: ‘When God awakens you to His presence, everything becomes a whole lot more meaningful.’ And isn’t that the gospel truth! Once you truly understand what’s happening with Christ in your life, your entire life takes on a whole new perspective. 

And talking about refuge in Christ and being under the rock, causes me to think of two interesting situations, the one of Moses, and the other of Elijah. Both were going through some difficult times in their earthly ministry. Moses prayed for God’s presence to lead him in the exodus of Israel from Egypt. He desired God’s assurance: ‘show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight; And consider that this nation is thy people.’ (Ex. 33:13). And the Lord agreed. ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ (Ex. 33:14) 

But Moses still was not satisfied, and later said: ‘I beseech thee, show me thy glory. And he (the Lord) said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee… (but) Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift (cleft) of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.’ (Ex. 33:18-23) 

And I like this explanation that www.frankgantz.com/the-cleft-in-the-rock offers: ‘A cleft is a narrow space or split. This would have put rock under Moses’ feet, behind his back and on either side of him. In a sense he was wedged into this rock which would hold him in place and provide a stable base. From that vantage point he would behold the back of God’s glory.’ That makes sense doesn’t it. 

The same thing with Elijah; after killing the prophets of Baal he got tired and discouraged and ran away into the wilderness hoping to die. But God made him rest by a brook for a couple of days and fed him divinely. Then he went for forty days and nights in the strength of that food to Mt. Horeb and hid in a cave there. But the Lord called and asked what He was doing there and he claimed that he was tired and scared after being very zealous in doing the Lord’s work, but the children of Israel had forsaken the Lord and wanted to kill him. 

‘And he (the Lord) said, Go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord: (1 Kin. 19:1-11) And an earthquake happened, but the Lord was not in it. Then a fire, but the Lord wasn’t in that either. ‘…and after the fire a still, small voice (delicate whispering voice). And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering (entrance) of the cave.’ And there the Lord spoke with him, strengthened and reassured him, then sent him back to continue his ministry. (1 Kin. 19:11-18) 

Yes friends, when we are weak and discouraged, and think we can’t go on, the most desirous place to be is in the comfort of God’s arms, in that safe cleft of rock on the mountain top that shows His mighty power. He will give us the peace and calm and the reassurance that we all need at times, to continue to be of service to Him here on earth. 

Now let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting all and sundry know who and whose we are. In strong voice, with sincere hearts: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

And now it’s time to put those words into godly action! Much LOVE!

…the best place to recuperate…in the LOVING arms of God…