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He Calms the Raging Sea
Andrea Lende • June 19, 2021
Luke 8:24
He Calms the Raging Sea
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/He-Calms-the-Raging-Sea-e132p1t
Luke 8:24
“And the disciples came and woke Him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And He, being thoroughly awakened, censured and blamed and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; and they ceased, and there came a calm.”
Jesus and the disciples set out to sea when they were met with a whirlwind.
The disciples awoke Jesus in a panic saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
I have prayed that same prayer when I’ve felt like I was perishing.
Even if I may not have been in true peril, I certainly felt as though I was.
As I read our verse today, a new idea or notion was revealed.
When the trials and difficulties of this life turn into a storm, I can intentionally imagine the Lord is calming the storm just as He calmed the storm with His disciples in our passage today.
The Word tells us He spoke three things into the storm.
He censured or disapproved of and condemned the storm.
He blamed or found fault with and held the storm responsible.
And He rebuked or criticized and reprimanded the storm.
The storm listened.
It stopped its raging until there was a complete calm.
Until peace returned.
I’m a huge believer in the power of visualization.
So, when the storms of life rage, I can visualize the Lord is calming the storm with His rebuke and condemnation of it.
I can imagine He is speaking the storm into a quiet peacefulness.
I can imagine the roaring of the sea coming to a great stillness and the tumultuous winds quieting to a whisper.
And I can imagine the Lord is beside me just as He was in the boat with His disciples.
Today I choose to believe the Lord is beside me and is fully able to calm the raging storms around me.
May you find the Lord is next to you and is calming the storms in your life as you ask of Him.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to look to You to quiet the storms raging around me. Thank You for showing me You condemn and rebuke the storm that tries to steal my peace and wrestle with my spirit. Lord, help me remember that You calmed the raging seas and quieted the gale force winds for Your disciples. You will do the same for me. You are Almighty God! You are the All-powerful God! And You are the God of peace. All things are in Your control and are submissive to You. Thank You for showing me Your power today. Thank You for working in every circumstance of my life. Lead and guide me in all ways today, Father. Strengthen me in every way to serve You as You ask. May You fill my heart with joy as I serve. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM the Great I AM, and I AM taking care of you and calming the storms around you, My child.
Response: Thank You, Almighty God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.