anxiety

Asleep in the Storm – 3

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 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:37-38 NKJV

Usually, we come to this portion of scripture and race ahead to the end where Jesus marvelously stands up and orders the winds and waves to be calm. But there was another miracle taking place, even before that. In the middle of all the panic, waves and wind, Jesus actually fell asleep! Let’s try for a moment to imagine that scene from the perspective of the disciples as they feverously worked to keep the ship afloat, while shouting to one other over the wind:

“Row harder John!”

“Leave me alone Peter. You just keep bailing!”

“Matthew! What are you doing? This isn’t a tax collector’s booth. Grab an oar and help out!”

“James, since you aren’t doing anything else, won’t you at least go wake up Jesus? Maybe He knows what to do!”

All the while as they struggled, and in spite of the waves that were washing over the side of the boat, Jesus slept soundly on a pillow in the stern. Some have presumed that Jesus was just pretending to sleep, but the Bible makes no such statement. After a long day of preaching, praying for thousands of people, and then walking miles down to the boat Jesus was just flat out exhausted. But neither the demands of HIs ministry nor the immediate commotion around Him in the storm, caused Him to miss the opportunity to rest.

Maybe some of us have problems with our relationships, our jobs, and even our health because we miss the opportunities that God gives us to rest. We don’t have to wait for vacation time, some religious event or the weekend to rest. We don’t have to row harder, bail faster or run around in a panic. God’s peace is just as available to us right where we are, as it was for Jesus in the storm. When we can fully trust God’s control over every problem that we face, then we can rest in Him. He knows what to do. He won’t let our boat go down. His plan will be completed in His way. He is the Master of our seas. Winds and waves still obey His will, and His love still lifts us up so that we can rest in Him!

Photo by Sascha Thiele on Pexels.com

Who is on Guard Duty?

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

A few days ago, the verse of the day in my Bible app was the one from Proverbs that told us to guard our hearts. It was great advice, but my problem is that I am not always great at guard duty. Sometimes I am distracted by temporary problems, get embroiled in controversies with the other guards or have days when I just feel like being lazy. That is why I was encouraged by these words of Paul to in the church in Philippi. After several chapters dealing with the hot topics of the day, he gives some fatherly advice to his friends telling them that they could bring all their problems and anxieties to God in prayer. But they must also remember to give God thanks in advance and trust Him for the answer.

I am so happy to learn that it isn’t just by my being vigilant or adhering to a strict set of rules that my heart is protected. I am guarded by asking God for help. Now, I don’t know about you, but God is definitely a better guard than me! I fall asleep about ten o’clock every night, but God stays awake 24/7. God never sleeps so that we can. He never fails, though we do so often. God is always faithful, loving kind and powerful, so why should we ever doubt Him? Let’s start today by giving Him thanks for His help in our crisis, His mercy to forgive our sins and most of all for His sacrifice of His only Son Jesus, so that His peace could guard our hearts and minds today!

Sweet Simple Blessings

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While working with one of our in-laws to revise the home school composition and poetry book which we released last year, I stumbled across this poem from a few years ago. With all of the craziness in the news and modern life in general, it helps to take a step back, just breathe and remember that God is in control. He knows and has designed our every moment and I love how Jesus reminds us of this by asking the simple question:

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  Matthew 6:27 NIV
Hearing the song
That the Mockingbird sings
And seeing the colors
As the Bluebird takes wing

And catching the fragrance
That the Hummingbirds seek
In the flowers that grow
By the side of the creek

And all of those moments
That are finest of fine
Are the sweet simple blessings
That Our Father designed

Sweet Simple Blessings
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved

I paired today's poem with a lullaby I wrote many years ago when our children were small. The first verse comes from an older children's poem by Rose Fyleman, to which I added to more verses and a chorus. I do hope that it's gentle melody will be a blessing for you. Though I have this under copyright, please feel free to use it with your own friends and family, if you like it.