With You Always

‘As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind… Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion…’ Mark4:35-38.

Many of us today are in the same position the disciples found themselves in today’s scripture reference. We know we are walking with Jesus, we are His sheep and we hear His voice. We have obediently followed His instructions to cross over to the other side but here we are in the eye of the storm as it were. The first thing you need to know is that even when God is for you, you will still experience storms. And like the disciples, we sometimes are perplexed that if Jesus is in this boat why should there be a storm? Just imagine Peter saying to maybe Thomas, go and check if Jesus is still on this boat because I don’t understand this storm. Most times we are unsettled by the fact that God is on our side and we have challenges. And we tend to think that perhaps, just perhaps God may have sneaked off the boat. So Thomas reports back and confirms that Jesus is still on the boat but He is sleeping. And Peter says “if Jesus is still on this boat then we are fine” and they continued to sail. Then the storms intensify and the next question is ‘how can – why’? They check again and Jesus is still sleeping. At that point they couldn’t take it anymore. And the Bible says, ‘the disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”’ A lot of us have the ‘Jesus don’t you care’ question on our minds and lips today. It is a challenge for a lot of us, myself inclusive, that Jesus is in the boat and there is turbulence. But God is saying to you and I today that the fact that you have challenges does not mean that He has abandoned you. In fact Jesus said, ‘in this world, you will have tribulations, you will have storms’. He says, ‘but be of good cheer’. So God’s message for you today is be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world.

But in order to deal with things conclusively sometimes you need to know the source. So over the next few days we will be looking into different sources of storms. We need to check where the storm coming from. Sometimes the storms you are dealing with are based on your own decisions, because of what you chose to do. So while you are screaming at the top of your voice ‘Lord have You abandoned me’. God is saying ‘check your obedience’.

Prayer: Father, please be merciful unto me. I ask for the grace to obey You now and in the coming year, in Jesus Name.