Be Still, And Know That I Am God!

May 6, 2019

Be Still, And Know That I Am God!

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

Mark 4:38

Jesus had spent his day teaching; four parables precede Jesus and disciples getting in the boat to cross to the other side of the lake. Jesus was ready for a nap and was oblivious to the storm that threatened to swamp the boat. The disciples, in fear for their lives woke Jesus, and Jesus dismissed the wind and waves. Then he asked his disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). (If I had ears to hear, I wonder how often the Master may have spoken those same words to me.)

First things first: the disciples should have been afraid. Without the intervention of Jesus they probably would have died. When Jesus challenged their lack of faith, it was a teaching moment. God’s hand, God’s favor, was on Jesus. In his life and ministry with the disciples, Jesus was the visible image of the invisible God who existed before anything was created and who was supreme over all creation. (Colossians 1:15) Jesus, the one who even the wind and waves obey, was preparing his disciples for that moment when Peter would declare, “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29b).

On that evening on the lake, Jesus was the visible image of the invisible God and was supreme over all creation. He is today as well. On that evening on the lake, Jesus wanted his disciples to be completely convinced of the sufficiency of God’s grace to cover them, regardless of any situation they faced, and regardless of the forces working against God. Today, Jesus wants his disciples, including you and me, to be equally convinced of the sufficiency of God’s grace. That doesn’t mean Jesus will rescue us from persecution or death as he did for the disciples on the lake. Today, God’s grace means that not even persecution or death can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus.

When I look at the persecution of the people of Christ, and of his church in our world, and in our own country, I tremble with the thoughts of what may lay ahead. I am prone to call out with the disciples in the boat with Jesus, “Master, don’t you care that we are going to be destroyed?” Then I recall that because Jesus, who is supreme over all creation, is working in me, I can do all things he has willed for me. (Philippians 4:13)

My Takeaway: Jesus’ dismissing the wind and waves served God’s purpose on that occasion on the Sea of Galilee. Saving our nation, the way I think it should be saved, and saving my denomination the way I think it should be saved may not serve God’s purposes at this time. I know that, and thus in my spirit I call out to God. I hear Him reply, “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Sē’lah

Alex

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.