Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm (Mark 4:39).
THEME
PEACE
Breton fishermen on the coast of France have a brief prayer that humbly acknowledges God's control of nature and life: "God, your sea is so great and my boat is so small." In recognizing that the sea belongs to God, the fishermen see God as the only source of safety for their boats.
In calming the Sea of Galilee, Jesus taught the disciples not only about His power over nature but also about external and internal peace. The lesson about external peace was the easier of the two; He stopped the storm. Dealing with the storm inside the disciples was more difficult; fear had replaced the disciples' faith.
Trust and tranquility are twins in the spiritual life. Isaiah said that perfect peace comes from complete trust (26:3). Much of the Old Testament is about peace--how to lose it and how to find it. To the nation of Israel, surrounded by hostile neighbors, Isaiah promised a Prince of Peace (9:6).
The New Testament explains why peace is associated with this Prince; it is part of His character (Col 3:15). In contrast, we humans, often scared of our shadows, churn with anxiety.
If we criticize Jesus for taking a nap in the stern of a boat on rough Galilee, we are like the disciples and miss the point. Of course it is easy for Him to sleep through a storm; He is all-powerful. But if that is so, we should not play captain of the ship.
-----------------------------------------
SEP 30
MATTHEW 8:23-27
"Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? (Matthew 8:26).
No Christian is immune from the storms of life. The transforming power of God's grace does not come with a guarantee that we will be free from difficulty and trial. Yet we are assured of God's abiding presence and mighty power to calm our fears and hold us secure in times of trouble.
One night an unexpected storm swept over a passenger ship sailing from England to New York, tossing the ship violently and awakening everyone on board, including the captain's eight-year-old daughter. "What's the matter?" the frightened child cried. After her mother explained about the storm, she asked, "Is Father on deck?" Assured that he was, the little girl snuggled back into her bed and in a few moments was sound asleep. Although the winds still blew and the waves still rolled, she had peace because her father was at the helm.
Although the squalls of life strike us, we are assured of our Father's presence. He controls our lives and upholds us with His right hand. We may not dodge the storm, and the winds may still blow, but the Master of wind and wave is on board. And if we trust Him, He will either calm the waves or quiet our hearts.
--P.R.V.
We need not nervously pace the deck if the Captain of our salvation is at the helm.
-----------------------------------------
OCT 01
2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-18
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
The frigid waters around Greenland contain countless icebergs, some little and some gigantic. Sometimes the small ice floes move in one direction while their massive counterparts flow in another. The explanation is simple. Surface winds drive the little ones, whereas deep ocean currents carry the huge masses.
When we face trials and tragedies, our lives are subject to two forces--surface winds and ocean currents. The winds represent everything changeable, unpredictable, and distressing. But operating simultaneously with these gusts and gales is another force that's even more powerful. It is the sure movement of God's wise and sovereign purposes, the deep flow of His unchanging love. The secret of victory is to be certain that we are in touch with that unseen current. Asaph, buffeted by thoughts of the prosperity of the wicked, went into the sanctuary to be alone with God. Only then did he gain the divine perspective (Psalm 73:17). Job faced his calamities by affirming, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). And the apostle Paul, realizing that he had been "crucified with Christ," was convinced that the Lord Jesus was living in him. He could therefore say, "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed" (2 Co 4:8).
Although the surface winds of trial become severe, we need not be alarmed. If we trust the Lord, the deep currents of His love and wisdom will carry us peacefully along.
--D.J.D.
Better the storm with Christ than smooth waters without Him.
-----------------------------------------
OCT 02
PSALM 107:21-30
Then they cry out to the Lord . . . , and He brings them out of their distresses (Psalm 107:28).
Through binoculars, I watched the twelve-meter yachts Liberty and Australia II compete off the coast of Rhode Island for the prestigious America's Cup championship. Although basically the same size, there was a marked difference between the two boats. The heavier Liberty sailed best under winds of fifteen to twenty knots, but the Australia II, with her innovative superkeel, performed better in winds between seven and twelve knots. Yet, no matter what race conditions the crews faced, they took full advantage of the available wind and competed with great skill.
Christians are a lot like those two boats. Some require the strong winds of adversity to develop their character; others make the best progress when the sailing is not too rough. In either case, we need to learn to adapt ourselves to God's conditions. The heavenly Father knows whether our "vessel and keel" are made for heavy winds or light. And He is in control. The psalmist said, "He commands and raises the stormy wind" (Psalm 107:25), and "He calms the storm" (v. 29). This applies to His control over our trials as well as the physical elements.
Unlike the contestants in the America's Cup match, Christians don't have meteorologists to forecast life's wind speed and direction. But we have peace in God's assurance that He will guide us, in calm or stormy weather, safely to our harbor (v. 30).
--P.R.V.
We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
-----------------------------------------
OCT 03
HEBREWS 6:9-20
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19).
A newsboy, thinly clad and drenched by the soaking rain, stood shivering in a doorway one cold day in November. To get a little warmth, he would hold one bare foot against his leg for a moment and then the other. Every few minutes he would cry out, "Morning paper! Morning paper!" A man who was well protected by his coat and umbrella stopped to buy the early edition. Noting the boy's discomfort, he said, "This kind of weather is pretty hard on you, isn't it?" Looking up with a smile, the youngster replied, "I don't mind too much, Mister. The sun will shine again."
Chilling winds of adversity and gray skies of a sinful environment easily discourage us. But we can count on better days because we know God is working in our lives. This hope is called an "anchor of the soul," and the Bible says that it abides (1 Co 13:13) and does not disappoint (Ro 5:5). It promises righteousness (Gal 5:5), eternal life (Titus 1:2), and the return of Jesus (Titus 2:13). It is a "living hope," founded on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (1 Pe 1:3).
When circumstances get out of control and pressures threaten to overwhelm us, we know that Jesus died for us, is working in us, and will never leave us. We can hold fast to God's promises and patiently endure. The "anchor of hope" will hold us firm.
--D.J.D.
It is always darkest just before dawn.
-----------------------------------------
OCT 04
ACTS 27:9-25
"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid"
(Isaiah 12:2).
An old seaman said, "In fierce storms we can do but one thing. There is only one way [to survive]; we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there." Commenting on this idea, Richard Fuller wrote, "This, Christian, is what you must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you. Reason cannot help you. Past experiences give you no light. Only a single course is left. You must put your soul in one position and keep it there. You must stay upon the Lord; and, come what may--winds, waves, cross seas, thunder, lightning, frowning rocks, roaring breakers--no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm and hold fast your confidence in God's faithfulness and His everlasting love in Christ Jesus."
In the storms of life, we must place our trust in the Lord and cling firmly to the sure promises of His Word. Our confidence in God should be so steadfast that no matter how severe the trial, with Job we can resolutely affirm, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). And to those who trust Him, He gives His "perfect peace" (Isa 26:3).
With the psalmist we can say, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by" (Psalm 57:1).
--R.W.D.
We realize the strength of the Anchor when we feel the stress of the storm.
-----------------------------------------
OCT 05
2 SAMUEL 22:31-37
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven
(Psalm 18:30).
The search for genuine happiness goes on and on. New books, promising an end to heartache and strife, continually put forth new philosophies, fresh ideas, and startling discoveries. They burst on the popular scene like gigantic fireworks, burn brightly for a while, capture a popular following, and then fade away, leaving only a few diehards behind.
In his JOURNAL, Henry D. Thoreau, the nineteenth-century American writer, said, "This is man: a writer of books, a putter-down of words, a painter of pictures, a maker of ten thousand philosophies. He grows passionate over ideas, he hurls scorn and mockery at another's work, he finds the one way, the true way, for himself, and calls all the others false--yet in the billion books upon the shelves there is not one that can tell him how to draw a single fleeting breath in peace and comfort. He makes histories of the universe, he directs the destiny of nations, but he does not know his own history, and he cannot direct his own destiny with dignity or wisdom for ten consecutive minutes."
Thoreau was right in saying that our best-written books and most carefully constructed philosophies fail to bring peace. We would face certain despair if all we had was our own wisdom. But one book is different--God's Word. Out of "the billion books upon the shelves," only the Bible shows the way to peace, freedom, and happiness. It points us to Jesus Christ, and He alone reveals the true way.
--D.C.E.
There is a vast difference between the books men make and the Book that makes men.
-----------------------------------------
OCT 06
JOHN 14:27-15:7
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. . . . Let not your heart be troubled" (John 14:27).
When Australian pastor H. B. Macartney visited Hudson Taylor in China, he was amazed at the missionary's serenity in spite of his many burdens and busy schedule. Macartney finally mustered up the courage to say, "You are occupied with millions, I with tens. Your letters are pressingly important, mine of comparatively little value. Yet I am worried and distressed while you are always calm. Tell me, what makes the difference?" Taylor replied, "I could not possibly get through the work I have to do without the peace of God which passes all understanding keeping my heart and mind." Macartney later wrote, "He was in God all the time, and God was in him. It was the true abiding spoken of in John 15."
When life becomes more like Macartney's than Taylor's, when we become tense, troubled, anxious, and fearful, and when we desire the peace Jesus promised, we must learn to abide in Christ as Hudson Taylor did. Abiding in Christ means to be in touch with Him continually so that the composure He experienced while on earth rules our lives. We need not agonize or plead or try to work up a certain feeling. The path to abiding in Him is that of confessing and rejecting all known sin, surrendering completely, and looking trustfully to the Lord Jesus for strength. It's continual dependence on Him.
We can enjoy the serenity of a peace-filled life if we will learn to abide in Christ.
--H.V.L.
Peace floods the soul when Christ rules the heart.
