Shaken Heart
Waves ride high, licking the sides of your boat, toppling inside. Water deepens, clawing tightness in your chest.
Jesus had snatched this boat at the end of a long, crowd-saturated day, so he could reach the other side of the sea.
With Jesus asleep now, you feel abandoned. Must you and your friends battle this storm by yourselves?
In a howling gust, your boat couldn’t be more tossed and you know you’re going to drown. What in the world? Shouldn’t Jesus at least see this mess he threw you into?
Winds roar so loud you can hardly hear your own voice. “Jesus! Wake up! We’re going to die!”
Your teacher rubs his sleepy eyes and you wonder: doesn’t anything rattle this dude? This is the storm of all storms. You’re about to go under—and he’s clueless!
Breathless, you try telling him this, but he only shakes his head, mumbling something about the size of your faith.
Rather than going on about it, he simply raises his arm and talks to the storm like nobody’s business. And just like that, he puts the raging storm in its place.
Your jaw drops as you watch the waves bow low. As you watch the ripples flatten like glass and nature obey, powerless to the sound of his voice.
Your mind spins, the only thing out of control now. Sure, you knew this man was extraordinary, but this is insane. Defies human reasoning.
Changed Heart
Your admiration for Jesus shoots sky high. More than ever, you want to be like him: powerful, fearless, bold.
Then you see it: He wants this for you too. Your teacher wants to teach you to trust him. To stop marching to the beat of fear. To know whose you are.
All along, he wanted to do the biggest miracle inside your soul. He wanted to help you face this new storm with more victory than the last.
And you know it’s possible now with God’s Spirit breathing deep inside you. You know the King of Kings who calms the raging sea can also calm your raging heart.
[box] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15[/box]
Cheryl,
I have been reading a book called The Locust Effect, by Gary Haugen (Founder and CEO of International Justice Mission). His conviction is that all the aid in the last 3 decades to third world countries is pointless until the laws in these countries are enforced and protect the poor and the vulberable. I am afraid any funds we have sent have mostly been useless because when aid workers are gone, stronger neighbors prey upon the poor and vulnerable as if the aid workers had never come. Even the police and justice systems are corrupt and give no protection to their own poor and most vulnerable citizens in most of these countries. Property is stolen when a woman is widowed, sometimes by her very own relatives and she and her children are turned out into the street destitute. Many girls never finish school because of the high rate of rape either traveling to and from school or while in school by a teacher or other adult. These poor people in developing countries live in constant fear of violence and being sold into slavery. Perhaps if Ann VosKamp could read this book, she might see where funding the International Justice Mission is a more effective way of helping poor chldren.
Thanks for your comment, Linda! I love hearing from you! Sounds like a great book. I’ll have to check it out!