June 7,2020

Today's Thought: 

​An On Time God in The Midst of A Storm

Scripture:
Mark 4:35-41
3 Points:
Point 1: Jesus is never too tired.
Point 2: Jesus will take control.
Point 3: Jesus is our confidence.
Here we are by God’s mercy and grace on Day 87 of the Covid-19 shutdown storm and Day 13 of the latest storm: racial and judicial inequality that seems to be sweeping throughout the nation, overtaking the world and swarming our social media! We are in a whirlwind, a never ending current, a storm tossing us to and fro but nothing that is too hard for Jesus to handle! I pray that all of you stepped out on faith this week and practiced your constitutional right to vote! Your first step towards bringing about change in a world that is currently caught up in a worldwide storm.
 
Background: This particular passage of scripture gives an account of how Jesus calms the sea, the wind and the waves during a storm by just speaking a word! Peace, Be Still! He rebukes the wind and rage of the water. Within this account Jesus proved an undeniable truth that 
he is in control of the situation! 
 
POINT 1: Jesus is never too tired.
During this time of Jesus’s public ministry, He and his disciples had been traveling throughout Galilee teaching, preaching, healing and ministering to the people about the kingdom of God. At this point, Jesus has drawn extremely large crowds and everyone is seeking Jesus out to meet one need or another. Whether it was the cleansing of a leper, casting out demons from a possessed man or woman, healing of a centurion’s paralyzed servant or Peter’s in fevered mother-in-law, Jesus never turned anybody away or told them that he was too tired to address their needs. 
 
Before this storm came and shattered our sunshine! Things were calm in the world we seemed to be moving along just fine. Think about it. Easter was coming, school was about to be done, for some graduation time was drawing near with summer vacation in clear view then the coronavirus hits and we are forced to deal with this storm tossing us to and fro, taking us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. When it appears that the silver lining might come and some freedom is in the air, BOOM, we are hit with yet another storm: Social injustice, racial and judicial inequality. We feel whipped and tired not wanting to face another storm. But I know a man who is never too tired to address our storms: Jesus! The scripture says when Jesus got on the boat he went into the stern (rear end ) of the boat and went to sleep. The waters got rough, the disciples panicked and woke him up. They called on Jesus! 
When we get panicked, we call on Jesus with the 911 prayers for HELP! We feel like we been in the storm too long. Jesus has forgotten us like the disciples felt in Mark 4:38. 
Case and Point: Jesus cares and he is never too tired to address our needs! 
 
POINT 2: Jesus will take control.
Jesus never promised that we wouldn’t go through fearful days and unbearable situations. Instead, he teaches us that God is present and greater than any situation we are faced with. He is in control and knowing this very thing should keep us from becoming paralyzed by the fear of uncomfortableness for this too shall pass! (I Cor. 10:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
The storm that they were experiencing on the boat had overwhelmed and pushed them into a panic mode. They just knew that they were going to drown to death. Waves were pushing up against the sides of the boat tossing them to and fro like our current pandemics are gripping us and throwing us into a panic. Some of us are kicking and screaming on the inside, paralyzed in our thought processes stuck, messed up emotionally, angry, wanting to act and react to what is happening, crippled by the situations and current state of affairs. I want you to understand that we don’t have to succumb to, worry or bear the burden because we have a burden bearer (Matt.11:29) and his name is Jesus! 
Case and Point: Jesus is in control, so stop worrying about it and cast your cares on Him. 
 
POINT 3: Jesus is our confidence.
Finally, Jesus has handled the storm, but he asks his disciples 2 significant questions, “Why are you so afraid and do you still have no faith?” Here they have been with Jesus as witnesses to his healing, teaching and preaching ministry all based on faith in Jesus Christ. The opportunity presents itself for them to put their faith into action and they faltered out of fear! God has given each of us a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3) and He expects us to use it to overcome our fears, worries and doubts. We have to stand in the confidence of knowing that our faith tells us we will recover, we will survive and we will be better after the storm because God is on our side and in control. 
Case and Point: Because Jesus is our confidence, we know that all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28).
 
Conclusion: Jesus fought the battle of disease, hate, injustice, inequality, racism, bigotry, you name it, it was nailed with him on the cross! Take it to God in prayer! While the people are protesting we need to be praying! (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and James 5:16)
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