Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Daily Light - December 29, 2010

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"For they had not understood about the loaves,
because their heart was hardened."
Mark 6:52

Blind eyes opened. Demons cast out. Lame men leaping and praising God. These are just a few of the miracles that the disciples were eyewitnesses to. Every where they went they saw the power of Jesus. Surely they never struggled in the area of faith. Obviously they did.
One dark night has turned into the next dark morning. The sun will not be shining through these dark clouds any time soon. The rain is so heavy and the wind so boisterous that even seasoned fishermen are afraid for their lives. They have worked all night to get this boat to shore, but they have finally resigned themselves to the mercy of the storm. Fear has gripped the bravest of hearts, and there is no relief in sight. The only thing in sight now is a shadowy figure that is becoming more transparent as the seconds roll by. Of course, sane, grown men don't believe in ghosts, right? You do when one is walking towards you on the water out in the middle of the sea! The fear of the storm has now been replaced by the fright of the paranormal. It is here in the middle of their fear that Jesus speaks, climbs into their boat, and calms the storm.
That is just like Jesus. He knows our anxieties and fears, and he desires greatly to bring us peace. Yet, He knows exactly when to come. It is from the outside of our boat, our troubles, that He encourages us to not be afraid. He knows what lies ahead, and He can see exactly where we are at. He then climbs into the boat of our problems and just His presence is enough to comfort us. The storm is still there, but being able to cling to Him brings so much comfort. Finally, in His time He speaks and stills the wind and waves of our trial. This is when we realize there is a greater lesson to learn of Him than He just calms storms.
Jesus was teaching the disciples a lesson that went beyond what they could see. He had just fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, but they still didn't wholeheartedly understand that He was the Almighty God and His power was over all things. The Bible tells us that they were hard-hearted. They had all of the proof they needed right in front of them, but their rational & reasonable minds could not fathom the power of God. So, God brought a storm into their life to teach them that there was nothing too hard for the Lord. It had to get personal. God had to get their attention. It could be that the storm you are going through is not just to show you that God can deliver you from this storm. It may be that God is trying to show you what He has been doing all along in your life, but you have failed to notice. Stop and look at the story of your life, and see the areas where God has been working all along.
May you be delivered from a hard heart today!

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