Saturday, February 20, 2010

Be Quiet and Listen

In Mark 4:35-41, it says.. And on that day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." And leaving the multitude, they took Him along with them, just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, "Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?" And they became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

Very good question- who is this, that the wind and sea obey Him? In Psalms, that question is answered, not once but three different times. First in Psalm 65:7 "Who dost still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves and the tumult of the peoples". Second, Psalm 89:9 "Thou dost rule the swelling of the sea; when its waves rise, Thou dost still them". And in Psalm 107:29 "He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed".

The Psalms were very well known during the time Jesus walked the earth. No doubt the disciples had heard these verses. This event hit them like a ton of bricks. This man just did something only God can do! No wonder they became very much afraid!

The great thing about this story is- not only can our Lord still nature's storms, he can also take our hearts, full of fear and anxiety, and boldly say "Hush, be still". And just as quickly, all is peaceful and quiet. After all, He is the Prince of Peace.

In Psalm 131:1-2, David writes "O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty; Nor do I involve myself in great matters, Or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child rests against his mother".

In that passage David says he doesn't involve himself with "things too difficult". In other words, he avoids things that lead to stress and confusion. If he were alive today, he wouldn’t be the type of person to watch too much TV. I'll bet he'd prefer to lie down in green pastures and walk beside still waters. In other words, David was a man who liked the quiet. He spent much time in quiet reflection.

How about you? Do you take time out of your day to get quiet and listen to God? Or is your life more like a raging storm, noisy and battered about at every turn? If so, good news- there’s hope. Jesus is still the one who calms the sea and wind.

In Lamentations 3:25-26, it says "The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD".

If you really want to make the heart of God happy, seek His face with a sincere, earnest, hungry heart. Get quiet, let the stillness of the moment envelope you. If you can’t seem to find that quiet place in your heart, allow Jesus to speak to the raging storm and say “Hush, be still”. God’s Word promises “the Lord is good to the one who seeks Him”. It’s “good to wait quietly for the Lord”.

Forgive me Lord

Forgive me Lord for sins long past, and those for which I haven't asked. Forgive me when I neglect to pray; instead, desiring my own way...