So... it has been a while since I have posted anything. I guess life got in the way for a while. But I think it is time I started sharing my thoughts again, whether or not anyone reads them. Writing is cathartic for me. It makes me put my rambling thoughts in logical order. It helps me hear God's voice and understand His words...so here we go again.
On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” --Mark 4: 35-40 NASV
This is a very familiar story to those of us who have been in church for a while. If you grew up like I did you learned it in the King James, "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still." I remember being in Sunday school hearing this story and thinking about how cool Jesus was that He could tell a storm to chill out and it would. I remember hearing sermons on this story and how Jesus can speak peace to any storm. I also remember the song "Peacespeaker" I wonder how many of you can sing it with me..."I know the Peacespeaker, I know Him by my name. I know the Peacespeaker, He controls the winds and waves. When He says 'peace, be still', they have in obey I´m glad I know the Peacespeaker, yes I know Him by name."
The funny thing is I've heard this story almost all of my life, but I think I've missunderstood the point. Jesus said, "Peace I give to you, My peace I leave with you" (John 14:27a NASV emphasis added). I wonder what His peace is? I wonder if it is the ability to calm the waves and wind, or is it the ability to sleep through the storm?
I think a lot of time we want to use Jesus as our "get out of storm free" card. We want the "Peacespeaker" to calm the storm. We want an easy out. But I don't think that was what He meant. He calmed the storm for those around him, but HIS peace had Him sleeping, resting, and unworried about the storm around him. I think that is the kind of peace He left with us.
The last 4 years have brought a lot of storms and challenges to my family. There are many times I was praying "Just get me out of this!!! Come on, 'Peace, be still' already!" I don't think that is necessarily the wrong thing to pray. I just think we have to be ready to receive His peace through the storm instead of only expecting Him to get us out of the storm. Food for thought. :)
On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” --Mark 4: 35-40 NASV
This is a very familiar story to those of us who have been in church for a while. If you grew up like I did you learned it in the King James, "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still." I remember being in Sunday school hearing this story and thinking about how cool Jesus was that He could tell a storm to chill out and it would. I remember hearing sermons on this story and how Jesus can speak peace to any storm. I also remember the song "Peacespeaker" I wonder how many of you can sing it with me..."I know the Peacespeaker, I know Him by my name. I know the Peacespeaker, He controls the winds and waves. When He says 'peace, be still', they have in obey I´m glad I know the Peacespeaker, yes I know Him by name."
The funny thing is I've heard this story almost all of my life, but I think I've missunderstood the point. Jesus said, "Peace I give to you, My peace I leave with you" (John 14:27a NASV emphasis added). I wonder what His peace is? I wonder if it is the ability to calm the waves and wind, or is it the ability to sleep through the storm?
I think a lot of time we want to use Jesus as our "get out of storm free" card. We want the "Peacespeaker" to calm the storm. We want an easy out. But I don't think that was what He meant. He calmed the storm for those around him, but HIS peace had Him sleeping, resting, and unworried about the storm around him. I think that is the kind of peace He left with us.
The last 4 years have brought a lot of storms and challenges to my family. There are many times I was praying "Just get me out of this!!! Come on, 'Peace, be still' already!" I don't think that is necessarily the wrong thing to pray. I just think we have to be ready to receive His peace through the storm instead of only expecting Him to get us out of the storm. Food for thought. :)
