Not Too Much To Handle

"Today's Devotion" For July 9, 2005

Read: Mark 4:35-41; Psalm 95

NOT TOO MUCH TO HANDLE

"Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have so little faith?" (Mark 4:40)

There's no doubt in my mind that I would have responded to the storm and Jesus' sleeping in the stern in the same way as the disciples responded. If I had a penny for every time I've doubted God's providence and care in my life, and the lives of those I love, I'd have millions of dollars to my name. It seems to me that the first reaction of many of us to seemingly overwhelming situations is to head toward despair. "O woe is me" isn't too far off for us when we don't seem to be in control of what's happening. On the other hand, there are times we try to do everything for ourselves and end up with our faces in the dirt, abject failures, and in worse shape than we were before our feeble attempts at solving the situation on our own.

As we look at Mark's account of this storm on the Sea of Galilee, what strikes me as most interesting is the fact that the disciples were, for the most part, seasoned fishermen. They were part of a small flotilla. For them to be as afraid as they were seems to indicate that the storm was unusually intense. Yet, Jesus was right there with them. He'd been teaching about faith and trust in God in the period of time leading up to this trip across the Sea of Galilee. Even though He'd been quite specific about the power of faith in the promises of God, the disciples, just like us, missed the whole point. Sin rears its ugly head once more and evokes fear and trembling instead of confidence and trust.

Jesus wakes up and calms the storm by just saying, very simply (at least for Him), "Peace. Be still!" Turning to the disciples who had awakened Him in a panic, He asks that hard-hitting, probing question we all need to hear, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" Now, in a twisted sort of way, I suppose we can take some comfort in the fact that the disciples had Jesus physically present with them in the boat and they still doubted and were afraid. How is it possible for any of us to face the vagaries of life and not doubt and be afraid when Jesus isn't "sleeping in the stern" for your or me to reach out and awaken? Yet, the truth of the matter is that He is present with us in His Word, in our Baptisms, through His Body and Blood in the Lord's Supper, and in our hearts each day by the very faith in Him that the Holy Spirit continues to nurture in us. We have His own promise, ours by faith, that He is with us always (Mt. 28:20) and that He will never leave us or forsake us (Josh.1:5).

Confident then, by faith, we are able to face every situation of life without fear or doubt. We can be certain that our Lord Jesus Christ has experienced every temptation, every sorrow, and every pain known to humanity. Our Father in heaven understands our every need and assures us that we're not alone. The greatest fear and burden in life for any of us comes from our sinful nature, and in Christ, God had removed that obstacle to our relationship with Him. In Christ we can never have too much to handle, for we have His grace, mercy, and love to give us hope and peace in every circumstance. It's a wonderful feeling to realize that no matter what we face, with Jesus at our side it's never too much to handle.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your many blessings, but most especially for restoring me to a saving relationship with You through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Your Son and my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Forgive me when I doubt Your presence or awareness of each situation of my life. Forgive me when I fail to seek Your guidance and Your strength to meet each and every situation with courage and hope. Help me to grow stronger in my faith each day that I might never falter in my service to You and others because the going gets tough. Lead me to live my life with courage and strength, knowing that my life and my faith in Christ can make a difference in this world, and especially in another person's life. May my words and deeds truly reflect a life of confident faith in Jesus; in Whose precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.