Calming the Storm

The story begins with the simple words of Jesus, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Luke 8:22).  Jesus wanted to go to the other side by a boat because it was one of the few minutes He could get away from the demands of the masses.  It had been a long day that began with confrontation and continued amidst the press of the immense crowd. People were crowding around Jesus. He hardly had time to eat. One of the very few times that Jesus could get away and rest was when He traveled by boat from one place to the other. So, He gets on the boat, and the very first thing He tries to do is settle back and try to get rest.  

And I’m sure it was a hard storm for them to understand.  Especially considering the journey they are taking is in obedience to Jesus!  Now, it’s one thing, if you’re like Jonah, and God says, “Go somewhere” and you rebel against God, and you go another way, and you get caught up in a storm.  You say, “Ah ha, storms, you see, are the result of disobedience.” But here are the disciples and they are exactly where Jesus tells them to be. They are doing exactly what Jesus tells them to do, and a storm comes. Maybe following Jesus doesn’t mean you always get smooth sailing.  

The humanity of these men comes out in that one little question, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  Now, think about that question, because there is a subtle implication here. That is, that their question suggests Jesus went to sleep during the storm.  You see, they are not accusing Jesus of ignorance of the storm. They are accusing Jesus of indifference to it.  Now, if He had gone to sleep when it was still, they would have woken Him up and said, “Teacher, there is a storm here. Help us.”  That is not what they did.  They woke Him up and said, “Don’t you care about this storm?  You’re going to go to sleep in the middle of this thing?”  

Now, haven’t we often felt just like them? The storms of life have hit us. The winds are fierce, the waves are high, and we want to shout to God, “God what’s the deal?  Don’t You care about me?  Are you not noticing what I’m having to put up with right now?”  And I think the danger of that kind of attitude is that beneath it, there is the presumptuous implication that God’s relief and deliverance are a matter of debt and not of grace. 

Now, what are we going to do with that story?  I mean, that’s an incredible story.  “Are you going to try to tell me that a man stood up and spoke to water and wind, and it settled down?”  Some have said, “What happened here is that Jesus woke up and His presence was so reassuring, a great calm entered the hearts of the disciples so that they were able to steer the boat to safety.” The problem with that is that it doesn’t look at verse 41, because verse 41 says, “that even after Jesus calmed the waves His disciples were terrified.”  In fact, they were more afraid after He calmed the storm, than they were before.

Further, storms come even when we are near Jesus. Just because they were in the same boat as Him, did not mean they were exempt from the storms.  Just because we are Christians does not mean we are exempt from the storms that come from living life under the sun. It does mean, we know The Son who can calm the storms.

So, He silences the storm, but He’s not finished.  Because after He rebukes the storm, notice, He rebukes the disciples.  In fact, I believe He’s more displeased with the disciples than He was with the storm.  And He says to them, “Why are you so afraid?”  The waves did not swamp the disciples, fear did.  Now, I’ve been in a sinking boat, and I can think of a lot of reasons to be afraid when a boat starts to sink.  But Jesus said, “You’ve got reasons not to be afraid.”  What were they?

Well, one reason would have been His promise to reach the other side.  Another would have been His presence with them.  And another would have been His own calm demeanor amid the storm.  Can you imagine sinking with the Son of God?  But, you see, that gets to the real heart of the problem.  Because, He says, “Do you still have no faith?”  That’s an important question.  

You see, the amazing thing to me is not that He could still the storm.  The amazing thing to me is that He could go to sleep in the middle of the storm. I mean, the boat is tossing and turning, and Jesus isn’t.  He has a peace amid the storm.  

We don’t really know what a person thinks about Jesus until a storm comes.  

Prayer: Lord, please calm the storms of our lives. Please calm the storms of loss of life, betrayal, suffering and emptiness. The storms rag and we need you to command, “Peace Be Still.”

         The Nobleman's Son

He heard, and he came. We don’t know his name, but we know his credentials. He was a nobleman, a man of wealth, of prominence and power. But none of those things mattered today, because on this day all he knew was that his son was ill. He knew his son’s condition was serious. He knew he had to do something. This isn’t an official coming to make an order to Jesus. This is a father pleading on behalf of his son. As far as we know, he had never seen Jesus heal. He hadn’t witnessed the power of the Son of God. He heard Jesus was near, and he came. 

Jesus’ responses must have been surprising. In one sentence He is addressing this man’s lack of faith, and in the next He tells the man to go home, his son will be healed. Can you imagine what this man wrestled with in his mind? “What did He just say? He is better? But He didn’t come. He didn’t see my boy. This is serious. What if He’s wrong? What if it didn’t work? What if I return and it’s not enough? We don’t read those things. He heard, and he came home. Jesus’ first statement about signs and wonders almost seems to be a test. Would this man believe without any sign? Without any evidence? Would he believe Jesus at His word? 

The challenge of Jesus here is one that we wrestle with. Can I take Jesus at His word, even if I can’t see it? If I can’t understand it? The power to heal a marriage, to heal a broken home, to heal a church, to heal the sin-sick soul - do I believe? Do I believe enough to stay in the midst of the mess, trusting God is still at work? Do I believe enough to be patient with the imperfections around me, trusting those around me (and especially me) can grow and mature? Do I believe enough to continue to pray for the prodigals who have left the Lord, trusting He can reach, heal, and restore? 

Maybe I’ve never seen it before - I’ve never seen a prodigal restored, I’ve never seen a struggling marriage mended, a broken home healed, a sin-filled soul forgiven. But Jesus has spoken - do I believe? He heard, and he came. Have you heard about Jesus?  Have you heard He has come? Have you heard there’s healing in His wings? Don’t doubt. Just come. 

Gracious Lord today we thank you for the humble faith of this desperate father. We are impressed that what you chose to reveal about this man was the boldness of his faith. Help me to trust in Your word, in Your promises - even if I cannot see, or understand, or have ever seen it before - help me to chase away my doubts and fears with confidence in You, in who You are, in what You say, in what You can do. Help me, when questions fill my heart, to seek Your words, and to come - bringing my questions and concerns to Your throne. Thank you for bringing healing into this world - especially healing our hearts and minds with greater trust in You. Blessed be Your name! 

Turning Water To Wine

Turning water to wine is the first of Jesus’ miracles. This miracle was not recorded to create controversy. John is rather brief in what he says. He spends no time on the incident of the wedding that might be of passing interest. Who was the bride? The groom? Who was present? Was there any relation to Jesus? Why was the supply of wine insufficient? 

The sign shows that Jesus is Lord of creation. He who createdthe vine through which the water must pass to from the grape that becomes wine, and He who could turn the water directly into wine apart from the vine, are one. In this sign He shows His master of matter; when He wills, it obeys. Also, He is Lord of quality; the wine which He provided was superior to that provided by the host.

This sign shows us that no matter what we can create and provide, it is not equal to what God can create and provide. He provides the best. He is the Christ of creation. All things were made by Him (John.1:3). He is also the Christ of compassion. He is the Christ of change.

In Christ we have abundance. What He provides is excellent!Further, when Christ is with us, the best is yet to come! The wine Jesus created was better than the wine grown from the vine. No matter what man may build, create, and envision, it is always less than what Jesus can do. Life with Christ is not just great in the moment. Life with Christ is always this, “The best is yet to come.”

Prayer: Lord, You not only provided the best at the wedding feast, You have provided, with abundance, the life we need so mightily. The abundant life which You provided in Your Son has no equal. We pray we will take our eye off the physical and see the signs He did, so that they will produce faith in us.

Daniel 12

What would you give for a glimpse of the future? That’s one of the most incredible features to the book of Daniel. This faithful follower of God is shown through amazing imagery the will and purpose of God which is to take place in the future. When we read through Daniel 7-12, the word that come to mind are what Daniel says in Daniel 12:8, “As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, ‘My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?’” I’ve read it, but it’s tough to understand what’s going on. What we have to help us understand Daniel’s vision is a greater perspective – we look at the events of the Old Testament this side of the cross.

The last chapter in the book of Daniel points us to several important events that were to take place in the future. The conflict described in this chapter seems to be pointing to the destruction of Jerusalem. Much of what is said here is echoed by the Lord in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. Thus the “end of time” seems to not be describing the actual end of all things, but rather is describing the end of Jerusalem, and what the Old Covenant was in representative form. There will be strong persecution. And time periods are described, giving an indication that it will not last forever.

The final words are words of comfort and peace, “But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age.” We call that hope. Conflict will come. Wars will rage. But there’s hope ahead. That’s seen in the language of resurrection through this chapter – not of the bodies when Jesus returns – but of the souls and hearts of those who submit their life to the Lord (Ezekiel 37:12-13).

This ends our month with Daniel. This book is such an inspiring section of Scripture. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have the faith of a Daniel, to face threatening situations with an unyielding trust and devotion to our God? We need that kind of faith today. Our culture continues to drift further and further from God, and the more it does so, the more God’s people will find themselves in conflicting situations. Daniel shows us that it is possible to be faithful to God throughout one’s lifetime. As a youth, and as an old man, Daniel remained loyal to the Lord. And we can too. We can have a determined spirit to stand upon our convictions. We can lead a disciplined life, molded by daily time in prayer to God. We can be so devoted to our King, that whatever tests or trials may come our way, there is no question where our loyalties lie. We stand with the Ancient of Days. Our devotion is to the King of kings. Thank you Daniel, for reminding us it can be done.

Our great and glorious King we give you thanks today for Your words. How inspiring and enlightening they are. We thank You for recording the life and example of Your servant Daniel. We see how You used him in amazing ways through difficult times. We are so thankful for his faith, his devotion, and his loyalty to You. It is our desire to live that kind of life – so true to You, so trusting and depending on You. We ask You help his example to spark a fire of commitment and zeal in our hearts. As the world drifts further from You, Father draw us closer and closer to You. Use us as lights in this dark place to point others to Your glory. You are the God of Daniel, the God who quenches the fire, who stops the mouths of lions – You are the Ancient of Days – and we like Daniel love You, serve You, and long to be with You forever. 

Daniel 11

Most of Daniel chapters 10 through 12 contain a long vision which Daniel received. The reading for today, Daniel 11, contains the bulk of this vision. In many ways, this vision describes the same thing we saw in the visions of chapter 8. We see kings rising and falling. We see a large kingdom split into four dominions. We see kings continuing to grapple for power among the kingdoms of men. In fact, most of Daniel 11 is spent describing the back-and-forth power struggle between “the king of the north” and “the king of the south.” And what a struggle it is!

At first, we see them attempt an alliance, but it quickly becomes ineffective (v.5-6). The king of the south invades the king of the north and plunders the kingdom. As the king of the north becomes more powerful and conquers territory, the king of the south will again attack, but will fail against the king of the north this time. We continue to see the back and forth as the two nations attack one another and attempt to take advantage of one another’s vulnerabilities. There is another attempt at some sort of treaty, but it fails. There is deceit and intrigue. New kings rise and some are quickly cut down.

In verse 21, we are introduced to an intriguing new king of the north who is “contemptible.” He musters an incredible army to advance on the king of the south. The king of the south fights back, but to no avail as he is betrayed by those of his own country. Again, the north will attack, only this time, they are driven back. It is at this point, that the king of the north turns his attention and anger towards “the holy covenant” – that is, God’s people. The king’s armies desolate the temple and the people of God begin to stumble, led away by the flattery of the king of the north. This king will continue to exalt himself, seizing more power and as much honor as he can – even proclaiming himself above any god!

The final five verses of chapter 11 depict the overwhelming power of this northern king as he crushes the king of the south and many other nations. But after all of this conquering, and just as it appears that the king of the north cannot be stopped, the narrative ends, being summed up in just a few words: “Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him” (11:45).

All that struggle; all that lust for power; all that conquering; and it ends with a simple, undramatic, and helpless death. There are many possible ways to view this vision. But on a big-picture level, this chapter is similar to chapter 8. It reminds us of the simple fact that the wars and conflicts of human nations are nothing when compared to the victory God possesses. The nations of earth will fall. God will never be overcome.  And – thankfully for us – the hope of God’s people transcends the kingdoms and empires of men.