“Let not you heart be troubled”
These
very words of Jesus give us reassurance of who He is. It is the same
reassurance conveyed by the miracle of Jesus which is the subject of today’s
devotion. This miracle is recorded in two other Gospels – Mark 4 & Luke 8.
23 And when he was entered
into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the
sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came
to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he
arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled,
saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! (Matthew
8:23-27)
The
heart of man, absent the power and love of Christ, is as a rudderless ship upon
the troubled and tumultuous sea of doubt and unrest. The storms of life often
overwhelm her bow, and the tempestuous gales rip at her sails. Her colors flown
from her top mast are the colors of death and hopelessness. Before those seas
can be calmed, she must run up a flag of surrender. Then the Ensign of love can
be lifted on high and reign above her renewed hope and comfort. The consoling
voice of Christ will penetrate the storm and bring a calm hitherto unknown. The
Holy Ghost, as a boarding party, will take charge of her sails and re-fit her
cluttered deck.
He who has the power to calm the turbulent sea has also the power to soothe and
calm the troubled heart. Have you not known this? If you have known it, then
this devotion will serve merely to encourage your hand on the helm. But, if
not, this truth received, digested, and metabolized will nourish a dying body
and convey a new life which is unending in Christ.
Just as storms and great winds disturb the face of the Sea, so do the constant
struggles of life and winds of doubt trouble our hearts. But Christ gives the
Word: “Peace, be still.” (Mark
4:39) ” and the tempest of our hearts are
made calm. It is the storm WITHIN the heart, and not the one without, that will
lead to certain shipwreck.
The sea that we confront is not imagined, but real. It is the world and all her
cheap glimmerings. God has given us prescriptions, in His Word, for survival in
making our vessel seaworthy in weathering the storm - just as He gave to Noah
the blueprint for the Ark. But unlike Noah, we may not have followed the
precise commandment of the Lord, and we find we are breaking upon the shoals.
Actually, without Christ as the Captain of our Ship, and the Master of our
Souls, there is no hope of navigating these dangerous waters of the world.
The disciples of Jesus felt quite confident in being with Jesus while He was
astonishing the multitudes with His miracles of healing and love, but profound
miracles do not occur with common regularity, so when they are upon the stormy
seas, their confidence suddenly ebbs. He is with them, yet He is sleeping! He
is not standing on the mountain brow commanding demons depart a soul, or sight
to return to the blind – He seems to be unaware of the peril in which the
entire ship is faced. He is not standing on the mountain, but sleeping in the
hull of the ship. The faith of the disciples has not developed to the point of
trust under all circumstances. They do not utter a prayer of great oratorical
prose but simply, “Lord, save us: we perish!” A simple prayer is
always preferred to a fancy one especially if the fanciful words are intended
to impress those around and not appeal to the heart of God. Just a bit later,
Peter was able to muster the faith to actually step out of the ship and walk
upon the sea (as long as he kept his focus on Christ), but this moment of faith
has not matured as of yet.
If we are WITH Christ, and IN, Christ, what safer Ark of Salvation can we
afford? It is said that “when Caesar was crossing the rough waters of river,
the rowers were becoming frightened. He encouraged them by saying, ““You are
carrying Caesar: you need fear nothing.” ”These are the proud and vain words of
a mortal potentate, but they become starkly true when compared to the immovable
North Star of our Faith – Jesus Christ. So whatever soul carries Christ need
not fear the worst storm of trouble or temptation which ever assailed man.”
– Caesarem Vehis.
The Voyage of Life, painted by Thomas Cole
in 1842, is a series of paintings that represent an allegory
of the four stages of human life: childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. The
paintings follow a voyager who travels in a boat on a river through the
mid-19th-century American wilderness. In each painting, accompanied by a guardian angel, the voyager rides the boat on
the River of Life. The landscape, corresponding to the seasons of the year,
plays a major role in telling the story. In each picture, the boat's direction
of travel is reversed from the previous picture. In childhood, the infant
glides from a dark cave into a rich, green landscape. As a youth, the boy takes
control of the boat and aims for a shining castle in the sky. In manhood, the
adult relies on prayer and religious faith to sustain him through rough waters
and a threatening landscape. Finally, the man becomes old and the angel guides
him to heaven across the waters of eternity.
The angel is unseen during the rough tides of life by the man, yet He is there
nonetheless just as Christ is with us always. (Suggestive Illustrations)
When we examine the background of this miracle, we see that Jesus has just
performed a series of amazing miracles. The multitudes witnessed the miracles,
yet one man claims a desire to follow Christ, but begs leave to bury his dead
first: “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus
said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury
their dead.” (Matt 8:21-22) And who, pray tell, are the dead?
They are all the lost and wandering souls who know not Christ as Lord and
Savior – and follow Him. “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins ……. Even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
(Eph 2:1,5-6)
If we look closely, we see that the disciples followed Jesus into the ship, but
the crowd behind did not! If we will belong to Christ, we must follow wherever
He leads. “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed
him.” Those footprints of Jesus lead by the peaceful and exhilarating
waters of the Sea of Galilee and of the Fair Banks of Jordan Waters; yet, they
also lead along the bloody way of Dolorosa to a crude wooden cross on Calvary’s
brow. Let us abide by the words of the old hymn, “Where He Leads Me, I will
Follow.”
Following Christ does not assure us of calm seas in life. “And, behold,
there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with
the waves: but he was asleep.” With, or without, Christ, storms will
always arise in our lives; yet, with Christ we are assured of shining through
to the Haven of Rest. God does not forever exercise the power of His presence
by our sides. He often will test our faith as a father a child whom he teaches
to ride a bike. As we grow stronger in the knowledge of His constant presence,
He will gently release His hand from our shoulder to be sure we can proceed
without falling. Even when the seas of the world overwhelm our decks and topple
our Main Sail, He will see us through to Calm Seas.
“And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we
perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful,
O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea;
and there was a great calm.” The inquiry of Christ provides the answer
as well. The disciples were fearful due to their lack of faith. I wonder at the
courage and manly conviction of the Reformers who stood boldly in the burning
flames rather than deny a single line of Holy Scripture. Where are those men
today? Where do we find these faithless wonders of modern error who dominate
the pulpits of America and of the world, and who have received the brazen brand
of “COWARD”: on their foreheads?
Jesus rebuked the “winds
and the sea” and there was not only a calm, but a “GREAT Calm.”
That same majestic Voice that had penetrated the Halls of Eternity from before
the world was formed; had penetrated the stone sarcophagus at Bethany of
Lazarus and the dead tissue of His heart; had spoken to the dear maiden,
daughter of Jairus, with the simple words, “Talitha
Cumi,” (meaning: Damsel, ARISE), and she immediately arose –
THAT Voice! The same that is the last voice the unrepentant sinner shall ever
hear uttered from the Throne of Judgment.
Mortal man can never comprehend the marvelous powers of God, but he can accept
the Savior who wields those powers! “But the men marvelled, saying, What
manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” Our
modern theologians do not wish to admit that any scriptural truth is beyond
their understanding. They parse and decimate the Word of God until it is truly
like their own words and without a single hint of mystery; yet, God remains
Immutable in His Power, His Truth, and His Righteousness. The godly man
or woman will forever marvel at the power of Christ – in the natural world, and
in the spiritual.
Oftentimes, our hearts are troubled with doubts for the future. “What will
become of us?” Our hope lies not in the absence of danger, but in the Presence
of Christ.
CROSSING THE BAR
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Sunset and evening star
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
But
the Master of the Sea, and the Master of our Hearts, gives us peace by saying: “ In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
(John 14:2)
Have you reserved your accommodations there, my friends?
