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He Comes to Us in the Storm
Andrea Lende • January 24, 2020
John 6:20-21
Daily Word:
John 6:20-21
"But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid! [I AM; stop being frightened!]"
"Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat. And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward, [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.]"
I absolutely love these passages.
Of course, we know that this is the story of Jesus walking on the water.
There was a storm brewing.
The winds were violent and the sea was rough.
The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost as He approached them.
And they were afraid.
But just as the storm was raging, their Savior was walking on the water out to them.
He came to save them from harm.
Seeing, Him and not knowing it was Him, made them afraid.
Isn't that what happens in our lives?
We are in the middle of a storm.
We may or may not see the Lord coming for us, and we are afraid.
But He is there to save us every time.
He may even tell us to not be afraid because He will protect us, even though we may not recognize His voice.
He quiets the storm around us.
He quiets the storm within us.
And then the scripture says, "And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.]"
The disciples got their 'suddenly'.
When it's God's time to move in our lives, He moves quickly.
Our circumstances may not seem to change much over time until He passes by.
Until God is ready.
Until it's His perfect timing.
Then we get our suddenly.
So, what is our job during the long spans of wanting and wishing?
We are to believe.
Believe that He is coming for us.
Believe that He will save us.
Believe that He is going to take care of every storm we face.
He will come.
And there is be no question that He is with us.
The storm will subside.
And our suddenly will happen.
Today I choose to believe that God's perfect plan is at work in my life as I wait upon Him and as I wait upon His suddenly.
May you find that the Lord is with you in whatever You are facing, and the storm will be quieted as He leads you swiftly toward your suddenly.
Blessings be to you!
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for being my Rescuer. Thank You for watching over me and protecting me in every storm that I face. Thank You for leading and guiding me to peace and rest. Thank You for every suddenly that You show me You're a part of in my life. Your perfect plan is always at work, and Your love for me is unwavering. Even though I miss the mark and come up short every day, You still love me through my failures. You never stop caring for even a second. Your grace is beyond explanation and words. You cover me, Lord. Thank You. Thank You for every mountain You help me climb and every valley You lead me to. Help me follow You without fail, Father. Help me do all that You have for me to do with joy, Lord. Help me love those around me and serve them. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and love you, always.
Response: Undeserving of Your love and care, thank You, most gracious God.
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.