If you are born-again, your faith is just like Jesus' disciples' faith from the time they first believed the gospel. Sure, your faith is weak at times. However, it grows!

Mark 4:39-40
Devo #60

Hello! This is our 60th devotion in our study of Mark. Today we will finish up with chapter 4.

Jesus is on the Sea of Galilee with His disciples. They are heading to the other side of the lake when a storm hits them. The entire boat is filling with water! (Mark 4:37)

Jesus, having been teaching all day, is exhausted. He is sleeping during the storm while His disciples are wide awake and terrified.

They wake Jesus! (Mark 4:38-39)

Wow! So, Jesus spoke to the sea, and the sea OBEYED Him! This is only by the power of our God!

Jesus said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!”
*Brad I suggest you pause briefly and thougtfully look at the camera, then continue…

Have you ever got caught out in a bad storm? I think we’ve all probably had that happen… But- did you ever say to a to a bad weather, “Stop being windy! Stop raining hard!”? No. We do not say anything like that to nature. Why not? Why do we not order nature to obey us? Because we are not sovreign. We are not all-powerful. We are not God! But Jesus on Earth was fully man, and He still IS fully God.

Jesus knew the disciples were not in danger from the storm. And of course He cared about His disciples. With the command of Jesus’ words; the storm ceased immediately.

In this verse the translation of Jesus command is “muzzle it”. Sometimes a dog known for it’s vicious bite will be muzzled. This storm had a vicious bite, and Jesus muzzled it.

Many times during Jesus 3-year ministry; He ordered this same command… (Mark 1:25-28). Jesus has authority over demons also. Jesus IS all-powerful. He IS God! THAT is the point here!

Jesus is sovreign over all things. Whatever Jesus commands will obey Him. Let’s continue to verse 40 (Mark 4:40). Jesus disciples woke Him because they were scared they were going to die in that storm. The boat was filling with water, and they were being tossed about. Who do they turn to for help? Jesus!
As Christians, who should we go to for help? Same- Jesus!

Jesus asked them, “Have you still no faith?” The disciples had faith in Jesus, but their faith was not yet concrete that was set. They needed to examine themselves, and grow in their trust in Jesus. (Mark 4:41).

Today, we as Christians should be constantly growing in our faith, our trust that Jesus is fully dependable. While on Earth we have friends and family members who will fail us. And we will fail them. We fail the Lord when we fail others. We fail Him often… That is sin!

Yet Jesus has already saved us eternally from our sins. During our time on Earth; we should grow through our experiences, depending on the Lord. This kind of growth is our sanctification, ‘growing to be more like Jesus’. We can depend on Jesus because He is fully dependable.

Let’s read Mark chapter 5 before we study it next week!

CORAM DEO!