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On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Mark 4:35-37 NASB
After one of the greatest teachings of Christ in the Sower of the Seeds, Jesus calls His disciples to get into a boat with Him and head to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As they are obeying this simple request of Jesus, they find themselves in a life-threatening storm. Jesus, being all-knowing, has just led His disciples into an extremely dangerous situation. To make matters even more perplexing, we find out in verse 38 that Jesus is actually asleep in the midst of this storm! Get the picture, they obeyed and followed Jesus, and then suddenly, without warning, found themselves facing an impossible, fearful situation. How could this have happened? Why would Jesus lead His disciples who had obeyed His command into this situation? One of the reasons for the storms of life is so we can see the mighty hand of God at work. To see a miracle take place is one of the greatest experiences that God uses of opening up our eyes to see Him rightly in all of His majesty. This is why the ministry and life of Jesus was marked by miraculous signs. But for a miracle to occur, something must go wrong or go against the natural order of things. If our desire is to have everything go perfect in our life and for us to never face any storms or trials, we are not only delusional but we are also asking for a life in which we will never see God move. These disciples (some who were fishermen) are about to experience something that they have never seen. Jesus is going to get up from sleeping and with these three words “Hush, be still” the powerful storm will cease. Without the storm, they would have never experienced this amazing revelation of Jesus as the Son of God who had authority over even the wind and waves. They had obeyed Christ to get into the boat; Jesus led them into the storm which revealed the grip that fear had on them; but there was no safer place to be on earth than in the boat with Christ in the midst of a stormy sea. I am certain that those same disciples would have chosen to go through a thousand storms to have that same experience of seeing the power of Jesus once again. This is the joy of obeying Jesus and abiding in the boat of life with Him, we consistently gain new revelations of the power and love of Jesus; and we are never the same. Questions to Consider: 1. Have you ever experienced a legitimate miracle in your life? Will you comment or share here your experience? 2. Are you facing some sort of storm in your life right now that you feel has come upon you out of nowhere? What is God trying to show you about Himself through that storm?
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 Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. [12] Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. [13] You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
On July 11th 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law H.R. 619, a bill that required that the inscription “In God We Trust” appear on all paper and coin currency. Since the time of the Civil War the motto commonly appeared on most of the United States bills and coins. It begs the question, is "In God We Trust" nothing more than a motto or is it actually a statement of faith in the Almighty? As a people, and as a nation, do we trust in God? On a personal level, the whole idea of trusting in God starts with a person's view of God. Do you believe in God's goodness of character or do you believe that He is somehow flawed? Do you believe that God is inclined to love you or does He wish you harm? It would be nearly impossible to trust in a god who lacks in character. Both the Old and New Testaments reveal the heart of God. His heart is revealed as a loving Father who wants to bless, restore and heal. His character is revealed as having no flaws or deceptive motivations. In His goodness He has great plans in mind for His people. Plans of life beyond this life. Plans beyond our imagination. When I contemplate God's enduring love, amazing grace, and tender mercies, I can say without reservation, "I have put my trust in God." Questions to Consider:
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