Imagine! Waves were crashing into the boat – and there Jesus was, sound asleep in the midst of a storm raging around the boat. He felt completely safe and secure even though there was a storm going on. He had complete trust and faith in the Father. All the disciples could see was what was happening around them. They were in great fear and thought they were going to die.
READING: Matthew 8:23 (The Message) Then He got into the boat, His disciples with Him. Next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. We have all been going through a storm over the last few months. Many of us have been in great fear of what has been happening around us. Fear can actually override the storm itself and become worse than the storm. We begin to do irrational things, which we may have already seen happening during this pandemic. Many at one stage were going out and bulk-buying things from the shops. There was much panic and fear as people didn’t know what was going to happen.
READING: 2 Timothy 1:7 (American Standard Version) For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline. We can be like Jesus. We can have that peace and assurance in our hearts. We can sleep soundly even though everything around us is going haywire. We just need to trust in God. We need to look to Him and take our eyes off what is going on around us.
READING: Psalm 121:1 (The Passion Translation – TPT). I look up to the mountains and hills, longing for God’s help. But then I realise that our true help and protection come only from the Lord, our Creator who made the heavens and the earth.
READING: Proverbs 3:5 (TPT) Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on Him to guide you, and He will lead you in every decision you make. It can be hard sometimes to keep our eyes solely on God, especially when everywhere we look – in front, to the left, to the right and behind all we hear about is COVID-19. Yes, it can get overwhelming when we are completely surrounded on every side by this.
In the Storm
We need to take our eyes off what is around us and look to God. As Psalm 121:1 says ‘He is our true help and protection’. He is the only One that is going to bring that peace in the midst of the storm.
I always remember that song we used to sing years ago:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
It’s so true. As soon as we look to God everything else around us grows dim. The storm no longer seems as big or as overwhelming as before. God is so much bigger, and He has everything in control. Through having full faith and trust in God, He will break down any anxiety, depression, fear and doubt that may be in our lives. It will open up the door to abundant blessing, hope, joy and peace as we move forward into this new season.
READING Psalm 18:1-2 (Amplified Bible). I love You [fervently and devotedly], O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower – my stronghold.
And Psalm 91:2 (Amp). I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust” [with great confidence, and on whom I rely].
And Psalm 144:2 (TPT). He’s my shelter of love and my fortress of faith, who wraps Himself around me as a security shield. I hide myself in this One who subdues enemies before me.
Jesus Is Our Refuge
Jesus is always the One that we can run to in times like this. He is our fortress where we can stay safe and secure, He is our shield that protects us and a shelter or refuge where we can find that peace and security. That is where He wants us to be – in His presence, seeking Him and spending time with Him.
Jesus quite often spent time in the Father’s presence. He always found a nice quiet place to spend time with the Father. As we read in Mark 1:35 (TPT) The next morning, Jesus got up long before daylight, left the house while it was dark, and made His way to a secluded place to give Himself to prayer. And again in Matthew 14:23 (TPT) After the crowds dispersed, Jesus went up into the hills to pray. And as night fell, He was there praying alone with God. And again, in Luke 5:16 (TPT) But Jesus often slipped away from them and went into the wilderness to pray.
Jesus found that time away from everything else, away from what was happening in the world, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and even away from His disciples. There was just Him and the Father.
This recent season of crisis has actually been an ideal time for some of us to be able to get more time alone with God. To just sit in His presence and hear Him. He wants to talk to us; He wants to commune with us in every way possible.
PRAYER
Take your own time to be with God. Use the Lord’s Prayer if you need a framework to pray – recalling its sections, and pausing at each one, to meditate on its meaning and application to us today.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.
Let Your Kingdom come!
May Your will be done on earth, as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours
Now and forever.
Grant Hay, June 2020
