Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Marty Goetz singing his rendition of Psalm 23, with singer’s arrangement of the classic Davidic song, declaring how we are comforted by the truth of where our Good Shepherd will ultimately lead us.
Highlight Passage: Matthew 8:27 [NKJV] …
27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
… And Jesus’ disciples were astonished at His power on display in the wind/waves.
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Highlight Context – Matthew 8:23-27 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus demonstrates His divine power to His disciples, controlling even the waves in a storm.
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] …
5 Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. 6 In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.
… Like Jesus’ disciples, so often we have trouble really believing the reality of Whom we serve.
Reference Passage #2 - John 16:33 [NKJV] …
33 “… In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
… Jesus warns of our troubles, yet gives His promise of control.
Reference Passage #3 - Romans 8: 28 [NKJV] …
28 All things work together for the good for those who love God and are the called according to His purposes.
… True!; … but do we really believe it … and live by its truth?
My Journal for Today: Our Daily Bread author, David Roper, made a teaching reference in today’s entry of one of my favorite true stories in the NT, … the scenario in Matthew 8 [linked above] where Jesus is taking a nap in the back of a fishing boat out on the waters of Lake Gennesaret (i.e. the Sea of Galilee) with His disciples. And a violent storm rages with Jesus just continuing to sleep thru the storm. But the disciples, even the fishermen, like Peter, fear for their lives; and they wake up Jesus, … Who proceeds to wave his hand and the sea is calmed. And the Disciples were blown away (bad pun!) by the specter of the Man they had been following having control over even nature.
Don’t you just love it when Jesus shows up and shows off like that in the New Testament, … where we can realize the reality of the One and only God-Man, the One Who was (and is) 100% man, … yet 100% God. And my wife and I have a painting of the Matthew 8:23-27 scene in our living room [see attached photo], reminding us of our Lord, … Who is ALWAYS in control … of EVERYTHING.
But sometimes it’s tough for us, even though we know and believe the truth of the story depicting Jesus calming the storm, to really believe in the messages of Psalm 23, so beautifully sung by Marty Goetz (linked above), … or to trust God in “ALL” things, as Solomon wrote into Prov. 3:5-6, … or in the truth of Paul’s pronouncement in Romans 8:28, … that ALL things work together for our good as Christians.
Where’s your storm today; and is Jesus in the back of your boat. If so, which He is for all Christians, … know that He’s in control of the storm today [see John 16:33].
My Prayer Today: O, Heavenly Father, … Lord Jesus, … take charge in my storm today. Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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