After my last post on navigating storms, I encountered the following devotional the next day in my morning email. It is from a classic devotional Streams In The Desert by Mrs. L. B. Cowman and comes to me each day from Crosswalk.
Streams in the Desert is one of the many online subscriptions available to readers from Crosswalk.com and I encourage anyone who is looking for a good Bible devotional to search their site.
The addition of the song In The Eye of the Storm by Ryan Stephenson is mine.
It seemed appropriate to me to share both.
The wind was contrary (Matt. 14:24).
Rude and blustering the winds of March often are. Do they not typify the tempestuous seasons of my life? But, indeed, I ought to be glad that I make acquaintance with these seasons. Better it is that the rains descend and the floods come than that I should stay perpetually in the Lotus Land where it seems always afternoon, or in that deep meadowed Valley of Avilion where never wind blows loudly. Storms of temptation appear cruel, but do they not give intenser earnestness to prayer? Do they not compel me to seize the promises with a tighter hand grip? Do they not leave me with a character refined?
Storms of bereavement are keen; but, then, they are one of the Father’s ways of driving me to Himself, that in the secret of His presence His voice may speak to my heart, soft and low. There is a glory of the Master which can be seen only when the wind is contrary and the ship tossed with waves.
“Jesus Christ is no security against storms, but He is perfect security in storms. He has never promised you an easy passage, only a safe landing.”
Oh, set your sail to the heavenly gale,
And then, no matter what winds prevail,
No reef can wreck you, no calm delay;
No mist shall hinder, no storm shall stay;
Though far you wander and long you roam
Through salt sea sprays and o’er white sea foam,
No wind that can blow but shall speed you Home.
–Annie Johnson Flint
One day he and his disciples got in a boat. “Let’s cross the lake,” he said. And off they went. It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
Getting to his feet, he told the wind, “Silence!” and the waves, “Quiet down!” They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.
Then he said to his disciples, “Why can’t you trust me?”
Luke 8:22-25Luke 8:22-25
English: World English Bible - WEB
22 Now it happened on one of those days, that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. 23 But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water. 24 They came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, master, we are dying!” He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Being afraid they marveled, saying one to another, “Who is this, then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
WP-Bible plugin The Message
This new devotional by Tony and Jonathan Evans, KINGDOM FAMILY DEVOTIONAL, turns what often seems like a daunting task into a simple, consistent, and fun routine!
I think it was Ruth Graham who wrote, “…there is a broken heart in every pew.”
So, here it is. Mine, with all of its ugly scars, brittle edges, and more than a little healed-crooked, hard won, Jacob-type-leaning, and limping.
I had always felt it.
He will feel like liquid warmth, pushing out every bit of the cold, dead, darkness, surrounding you (which you weren’t even aware of) until His Love showed up, and began to drive it out!
My bible teaches me God’s “love language” is unity. The bible speaks constantly about it, especially in the writings of the Apostle Paul. Doesn’t he implore us to do this over and over again?
God knows there is power in unity.
Okay… (sigh)
Let me sing, on gossamer wings, to dreamers—not a few;
