Have you ever discovered some new insight or detail in a passage of scripture that you have read multiple times in the past? There is a little detail that is revealed here in Mark’s account of Jesus calming the storm that is not detailed in the other two gospel accounts of this story. Verses 35 through 41 of Mark 4 tell the familiar story of Jesus and His disciples caught in a boat during a severe windstorm. Jesus slept peacefully while the disciples fretted as the boat took on water. They woke Jesus, Who with a few words, immediately calmed the storm, demonstrating His divinity.
The detail that I had not noticed before was that other little boats were also with Jesus. I am not entirely sure why God only recorded this particular detail in Mark, but it is an interesting one when you ponder it. For one thing, this detail reveals to us the fact that the disciples were not the only witnesses to this fantastic miracle. The riders on the other boats most certainly would have experienced the same terror as the disciples, and therefore the same relief when calmness fell on the sea as Jesus commanded, “Peace be still.” These additional eyewitnesses would be able to later corroborate and confirm Mark’s gospel account to doubters, detractors, and naysayers.
By the Holy Spirit, God’s Word speaks to us, and He may want to teach us something new in passages that we have read before. We must habitually be in the Word of God in order to create the opportunities for God to teach us something new or give us new insights, and we need to read with a prayerful expectation that He will reveal His truths to our heart. If we read without focus and intensity, we are going to miss what He wants to teach us. Lord, by your Spirit, draw us into your Word daily, and give us hungry hearts looking to be fed with your truth.
Jeff Mericle
In Romans 6, Paul exhorts true believers to remember that our old nature was crucified with Jesus on the cross so that we are no longer slaves of sin, but free now to obey God. One very practical way Paul shows us how to stop letting sin reign in our lives is to compare being a slave of sin to being a slave of God.
There is good news and bad news here. The bad news is that we are all slaves. The good news is you can choose your master. You are a slave of the one whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience to God, leading to righteousness. One master hates you and wants to deceive you, take you captive, and lead you to death with him in hell. The other Master loves you, died a most horrible death to pay for your sin, and wants to give you fullness of joy now (Psalm 16:11). So, before making your choice, consider where each master is leading you.
Paul continues this comparison through the end of the chapter, finally asking in verse 21, “What possible benefit were you deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed, for the end result of those things is death? But now, having been set free from sin and enslaved to God, you have your abundant fruit of holiness that leads to everlasting life.”
Paul ends chapter six with the sober pronouncement: The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Tom Day
The proverb here tells us that what we speak will distinguish between those that are wise and those that are fools. Those that are wise will take information and properly apply that knowledge in such a way that when they speak, they impart words that are accurate, true, profound, helpful, insightful, etc. However, those that are fools, words of stupidity come flooding out of the mouth that are crass, inappropriate, worthless, and/or harmful.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be wise because there are plenty intelligent fools out there. To be wise is to know the Lord, to know His Word, and to walk according to His ways. You spend your time doing that and I bet you would have some things worthy of sharing unlike 95 percent of the posts, tweets, and vlogs I come across these days.
Pastor Jason Witt
I have seen this verse posted in just about everyone’s house I’ve been in. I even have it in my own house. The children of Israel had seen their share of false gods throughout the land. Their fathers even worshiped some of them. The question that Joshua asks the children of Israel was pretty straightforward. Who are you going to choose to serve? These false gods or the Lord?
When I look at this verse posted in my house, I take it seriously. It means to me that I have made a commitment to the Lord; that I will serve Him and Him only, with all that I have. I will lead my family according to all His ways. I will teach the word of God to my children, I will talk about them daily, and write them wherever I can (Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Every day I wake up, I will choose to serve the Lord. Even if everyone says I’m wrong, I choose to serve the Lord.
Choosing to serve the Lord,
Joshua Navarro
As Christians, we understand that faith in God alone has saved us. Nothing we do, not even our “good works,” will earn us right standing before the Lord. The grace of God is His gift of love to us. It erases our sin and it enables us to live our lives in tune with our Maker.
This verse reminds us that our salvation has a purpose. As the Lord now resides within our hearts, the mercy and compassion that defines God beckons us to reach out to others with His love. Doing good ceases to be a contrived effort of our minds and becomes a rich outpouring of His Spirit working through our gladly surrendered lives.
Let’s keep this in mind as we step out the front door today. Opportunity awaits. Maintaining the good works that God enables us to perform will certainly bless others and it will no doubt bless us as well.
Jeff Deal
Many people profess to know Christ and have fellowship with Him, yet they walk in darkness, contrary to His commandments. They are only fooling themselves. John makes it clear here, you cannot have fellowship with God and live a life of sin. You can have a wonderful prayer life and read your Bible every day, but if you do not turn from your sin you are living a lie. It is not real fellowship. True fellowship with God changes you from the inside. Jesus died so we would no longer live in darkness, but rather walk in His marvelous light. My question to you is, are you having true fellowship with God?
For the King,
Daniel Batistelli
During Paul’s life he had a lot of ups and downs. If you go through the book of Acts, you can see he didn’t have it easy. He had every reason to be downcast in appearance and speech, yet we find that was hardly the case.
In writing to the church in Philippi, we see Paul’s deep love for the people there despite his circumstances. In fact, he is so focused on all that God is doing in and through them that it drives him to praise God in giving thanks for all that He is doing. Life is hard and there is always something we could complain about, but who can you be giving thanks for and praising God for in your life. Find joy in the work God is doing all around and not just in your own life! Let’s see what happens when the church starts rejoicing together.
In Christ,
Pastor Sean Boehm
These are the words of Stephen just before he was martyred. It gives us a glorious glimpse of what lies ahead for the children of God. The Lord, in the moments leading to his death, filled Stephen with His Spirit and opened his eyes to the realities of heaven. And notice it says he saw the “Son of Man,” Jesus as brother and fellow man. This is the last time this title would be used in the New Testament.
In case you’re a little discouraged today, meditate on the amazing scene of these two verses and be encouraged. This is what awaits every child of God and follower of Christ.
I can’t wait,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Do you ever go through stretches in your life where it seems the Lord doesn’t answer your prayers? There can be many reasons for it, but one of them is in the above verse – you’re regarding iniquity in your heart. The word regard means you’re considering it and you’re not letting it go. There are many sins in people’s lives they just can’t seem to shake. Then they wonder why their prayers aren’t answered.
King David went through a terrible time in his life when he committed the sin with Bathsheba that led to the murder of her husband, Uriah. The baby he had with Bathsheba died and it took the Lord speaking to David through the prophet Nathan to get him to acknowledge his sin.
Maybe the Lord is speaking to you today about a sin in your life you haven’t let go. Confess that sin to the Lord and be forgiven, like David did, and reopen up your lines of communication with God.
Hear me, Lord!
Pastor Ron Kitchell
James is writing to his congregation who’ve been scattered from their homes recently due to persecution. Here, he’s encouraging them to seek the Lord through these trials to learn what God was seeking to teach them. James was aware that His purposes in allowing trials was to grow them in their relationship with God (James 1:3-4).
What trials are you facing today that you have not prayed: Lord, what do You want to teach me through these? Pray today, pray with faith, as James encourages us, for God wants to teach you, to reveal His purposes and plans, to “grow us up.” After all, we read this morning that God will give wisdom liberally and without reproach. He has much to teach us and will do so gladly and without any hesitation if we will simply seek Him through it all!
Asking God to teach me today through my walk with Him,
Pastor Jack Abeelen
