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The Calm After the Storm
Andrea Lende • Dec 01, 2020
Matthew 8:25-26
The Calm After the Storm
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Calm-After-the-Storm-en7nus
Matthew 8:25-26
“And they went and awakened Him, saying, Lord, rescue and preserve us! We are perishing!”
“And He said to them, Why are you timid and afraid, O you of little faith? Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great and wonderful calm (a perfect peaceableness).”
I have read this passage so many times and it has always given me a great calm.
An assurance that the Lord is stronger than any storm we will face.
Knowing He can calm any storm that surrounds me.
Today, however, I saw something a bit different.
The last part of the verse spoke volumes to me.
“There was a great and wonderful calm (a perfect peaceableness).”
Perfect peace.
“A great and wonderful calm.”
Don’t we all need that right now?
I certainly do.
But before the perfect peace and wonderful calm there is a storm.
A storm that will almost take us down.
A storm where we will be afraid.
A storm that will suck the courage right out of us.
A storm that will weaken us.
And a storm where our faith will be violently shaken.
The only way we’ll make it through is by the strength, might, and power of our Lord Jesus.
He will have to step in and help us.
He will have to quiet the storm around us.
Maybe most disconcerting is that He will see our weakened faith.
He will see we have almost lost hope.
He will see our hysteria.
He will see us fall to our knees in lost hope and lost courage.
Knowing all along He is mightier than the storm we are facing.
What if we could navigate the storm with strength, confidence, courage, and increased faith?
What if we could use the passage today to strengthen us in every way so we would really, really know the Lord will calm the storm around us?
This is my prayer today.
This is my prayer for you and for me.
Today I choose strength, faith, courage, and a belief in the Lord’s power to calm the storm around me even as I see the storm increasing in intensity. I know He will assist me through this to the other side where there is a calm and peace that I long to be enfolded in.
May you find the Lord is coming to your aid and will strengthen you to withstand the storm only to enjoy the calm and wonderful peace on the other side.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me You will calm the storms of my life. Thank You for showing me no matter the intensity of the storm You will be with me and will bring me to a place of perfect peace. Thank You, Lord, for showing me Your Almighty power and strength. You are the God of the universe and God of my heart. You calm my soul and cover me in peace. May You find me seeking You, Lord. I seek Your presence. I seek to be filled with Your Holy Spirit so there is more of You and less of me. Strengthen my weakness. Increase my faith. Grant me the courage to do as You ask of me. Ready me in all ways for Your service. I love You, Lord. I love You with my whole heart and am continually grateful You choose to show me more of You each day. Help me share You with others. Help me share Your magnificence and Your wonder. May You go before me and ready my path. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you through every storm you will face, and none shall destroy you.
Response: Thank You, Almighty and All-Powerful God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.