Daily Devotional
God is Our Peace When We Are Afraid
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’”
Mark 4:39-40
June 12, 2023
Ponder This
Often, when we get in a storm, we put our eyes on the waves and not on the Lord. The difference between the amount you have your eyes on the storm and not on God, is called stress. Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid. I am here. It is me. I have come to you in this storm.”
You have the assurance of God. What is assurance? He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Providence means His purpose brought me here. Entreaty means His prayers protect me here. Assurance means His presence comes to me here. If His presence comes to me here, I need to recognize Him. At first, the disciples didn’t recognize Him, and they remained afraid.
Down in Florida, where I was raised, we had a lot of hurricanes that came through our city of West Palm Beach. Even as a child, I learned something about hurricanes. I learned that in the center of the very worst hurricane, the very worst storm, there’s a calm spot—the eye of the storm. When the storm passes over, right in the eye of that storm, it’s just as calm as a pond on a summer evening. In your storm, there is a center that is calm. It’s the heart of God right in the middle of that storm.
- What storm is going on in your life?
- How have you been reminded to keep your eyes on Jesus during a storm?
Practice This
Encourage a friend who is going through a storm in his or her life.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
