Daily Devotion

September 5, 2013

A Fearful Spirit (3)


“They came to Him…saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’” Lk 8:24 NKJV

The Bible says: “He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.’ And they launched out. But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down…and they…were in jeopardy. And they…awoke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water…But He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!’” (vv. 22-25 NKJV). Notice what is at work in this story: A fearful spirit. No matter how often God blesses us and answers our prayers, we still give in to fear the next time we face a crisis, especially when it’s one we haven’t faced before. Who told the disciples to get into the boat in the first place? Jesus. Understand this: faith doesn’t exempt you from life’s storms; it equips you to go through them. And when you are in the will of God no storm, however severe, can take you under. Jesus knew the storm was coming before the disciples ever stepped into the boat. So why did He expose them to it? Because He was equipping them for the future, for the day when He’d no longer be around and they would face persecution, imprisonment, and even death. So the word for you today is, “Don’t be afraid. The Lord is with you; you are going to make it to the other side.”

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