From the Edges – Rescued – Morning Devotional

From the Edges – Morning Devotional
Pastor Calvin Cook
April 12, 2024 – Rescued
Scripture focus – Mark 4:35-41 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

This morning as I write this, there is a storm outside. Maybe the first significant storm of the season that I have noticed. All of the components of this storm are present, thunder, lightning, winds, rain, and bits of calmness. As I sat and listened and saw the lightning flashes, I thought about the storms in my own life and how I deal with them.

I looked at the scripture that is shared this morning. This piece of scripture must indeed be important and relevant for us today. All the Gospels mention this situation of a boat load of disciples in the midst of a great storm and the need for rescue. We can look at this story and realize that they were in a boatload of despair.
Realizing the need for rescue they reached out to Jesus. The disciples from being with him realized their need of Jesus and that He would know what to do. The greater point is the question Jesus asked after calming the storm, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Whenever Jesus shows up calmness and peace will come, if we trust, if we believe. While I write this my cat Mabel is curled up and comfortable on my lap. She has little awareness of the storm that is going on outside. Occasionally, at a loud clap of thunder Mabel raises her head looks at me and goes back to her cat nap. Mabel is finding comfort and care and trusts me that regardless of the storm raging outside she will be ok. My prayer is to have that same relationship with Jesus. To find peace and calmness amid every storm of life, everything that I will be going through today, and constantly have the faith to trust.

I am praying this morning for complete trust and surrender for all of us. That in everything that happens today, you hear Jesus say “Peace, be still!” and that we will have the faith to believe it will be so.