Daily Devotional for July 26

 

July 26                                                            Mark 4:35-41

   "Who then is this, that even the sea and wind obey?"

It is easy to be so impressed by the extraordinary nature of
Jesus' miracles that we do not see them as signs of God's
presence with us in every circumstance and at every moment.
Yet God's abiding presence with us is the true miracle to which
all others point. The miracle in today's Gospel is a case in point.

Storms are as inevitable in our lives as they are in the world
of nature. Sometimes they are as life threatening as the one
described in today's Gospel, in which there is "a great storm
of wind," "waves" that beat against our lives, and a boat that
is "already filling" and close to sinking. The storm may be
financial, brought about by the loss of a job, a sudden change
of circumstances in our life, or even theft or robbery. The
storm may be emotional, as waves of anger, pain, fear, or guilt
rise and wash over us uncontrollably. The storm may be
spiritual, as dark forces from within and without attack and
threaten to overwhelm our little faith.

In such storms there is something we can do: cry out to Christ
with all our might, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?"
Such a cry is good! A storm is not the time for the prayer of
quiet! It is the time for a prayer that is an outcry so loud that
not even God could sleep through it! Such a prayer awakens
the Christ asleep within us who has the power to rebuke and
calm the storm swirling around and within us.

So the next time you are caught in one of life's storms, cry
out to God with all your strength, "Teacher, do you not care
if I perish?" You will awaken Christ within you and hear the
words: "Peace, be still!" And the wind will cease, and there
will be a great calm. And you will learn once again that God
in Christ is with you in every circumstance and in every
moment, and therefore in every storm.

[But after many such storms we should eventually get to the

point in our faith that we too can sleep through it because 

we know there's nothing to worry about... our God loves us;

God will get us through even '...the valley of the shadow of

death'. The storm, not the calm, pushes us to where we're

going. L.M.]

​

 

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.198