Monday Reflection – November 02, 2020
No Good

They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one. Psalm 14:3

To better appreciate today’s Watchword, let’s hear the two preceding verses: “Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.”

David outrightly rejects those who deny the existence of God and declare that they are fools, because they reject God. David says this because of the plain evidence that there is a God: evidence in both creation and human conscience. The fact that some people insist on denying the existence of God does not erase God from the universe; it instead speaks to their own standing as fools. The God-denying person is a fool because he/she denies what is plainly evident, especially because the universe reveals the creator God, the designer God, the relational God, and the governing God of morality. What is worse is when such a person denies God in his/her heart.

David then considers the result of denying God. It leads people into corruption and abominable works. There is a marked difference in moral behaviour between those who take God seriously and those who do not. More than that, as David considers the sin of the God-denier, he looks out over the landscape of humanity and concluded that there is no one who does good. It is not that there is no human good in this world, but that fallen man is so fallen that he does not by instinct do good, and even the good he may do is tinged with evil. And while we may wish to forget about God, God never forgets about us. He is always observing, looking down from heaven upon the children of men. 

Continuing in this same vein, David says in today’s Watchword, “They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.” When God looks, he finds that we have turned away from him, grown sour, and have become perverse and corrupt. David observes and remembers that humans are truly, profoundly, deeply fallen. David’s use of “there is no one who does good” suddenly broadens the scope beyond the atheist to include us. We may not be atheists, but we all have gone astray, and are perverse. 

What a picture of our condition as humans! Charles Spurgeon says, “Save only where grace reigns, there is none that doeth good; humanity, fallen and debased, is a desert without an oasis, a night without a star, a dunghill without a jewel, a hell without a bottom.” Yet, today’s New Testament lesson of Romans 3:24 offers hope – We are justified by God’s grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 

May we graciously receive God’s gifts of redemption, salvation and justification and live each day bearing the image of Christ. 

Jermaine Gibson

Time To Consider This.

All evidence seems to point to the fact that King Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. The word comes from the Greek word meaning the person who calls an assembly. In the first verse of the first chapter, the writer fittingly identifies himself as preacher, and later on as the ‘son of David, king in Jerusalem’. (1:16). The book itself tells the tale of one who looks back on life with regrets, having lived to his pleasure but now realizing that it was all vanity. While the author had accomplished much in terms of wisdom, pleasure and work, he takes a retrospective look later in life and cautions his readers that a better, simpler life, lived under the guidance of God, was worth far more than any earthly gain. It is from his learned wisdom that we get today’s watchword. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. Ecc 7: 14.

The message of the text is clear.. One would think that a statement such as ‘in good times be happy’ would be followed by ‘in bad times be sad’, but no. The preacher states that when times get bad, we should consider the fact that both the good and the bad comes from God. Now do not get me wrong. I am not saying that evil comes from God. The Bible teaches that evil is of the devil. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us however, that when we become followers of Jesus Christ no evil will befall us. What we do have is a promise of God’s presence. ‘I will be with you to the end of the age’. Matt 28: 20. Our God will never leave us nor forsake us but will stand by us even through the worst of times. David said this in Psalm 23: 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. The same God who is with us through the best of times is even more so with us through the worst of times. The God who hears our laughter and praise also hears our sorrows and tears. The same God who knows our celebrations and joys also knows our heartaches and pains. He is with us through them all. It’s worth considering this at a time when for many, happiness has been lost, joys have been stolen, and sorrows have crept in on us.

The message of the text is incomplete however if we do not also look at that last statement. Since we cannot control the good and the bad, since we cannot cause all good things to happen to us or all bad to happen for those who we dislike or those who are our haters, it forces us to recognize that we have no control over what happens to us, no control over our future. Brazilian author Paulo Coelho states, ‘the future belongs to God, and it is only He who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances.’ These are indeed extraordinary times in which we are living, and we have no certainty of the future. We all know or know of, people who have passed since January who were expecting to be alive and well today. Indeed, the preacher is correct when he says we cannot discover anything about our future. What we can do however is recognize who has control of the future. Because God is in control of all things, it means that we need not fear the bad times since God will be with us through it all. In these COVID-19 times we notice that the desperation and wickedness of humanity has not taken a break. We still wrestle against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The only protection we have against all that is happening is the power and presence of God with us. Consider this then friends, the God who allowed us to enjoy the good moments, is with us through these times of sickness and disease. We should remember we are not alone. He will see us through. He is not only a God of the good times, but a God for all times. Amen.
[5:45 AM, 10/21/2020] Jermaine Gibson: Moravian Daily Texts

Wednesday, October 21 — Psalm 119:57–64
2 Samuel 13:34–14:33; John 8:42–59

Suddenly an angel touched Elijah and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to the mount of God. 1 Kings 19:5,8

We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

Lord, our bodies are frail. Some days we get so tired that we do not think we can work for you. Remind us that you are always with us—strengthening and feeding our souls. Then we can finish the tasks you have given us. Amen.

Monday Reflection – October 19, 2020
From the Archives #3
 
Prelude:
I continue sharing from the Archives for this month of October. I share with us the reflection of October 16, 2017.

Reflection
Temporary vs Eternal

 (Greetings on this National Heroes Day in Jamaica. We pause to remember today our national heroes and heroine who sacrificed all to help in the process towards our emancipation and independence. We also recognize our present heroes, some of whom will receive their national awards today. Let’s not forget our unsung heroes who have and continue to give of their all in service to their fellow human beings.) 

Last Tuesday, the USA football team failed to qualify for the World Cup finals, the first since 1986. Trinidad and Tobago defeated them 2-1. This was shocking to many, to say the least. It was as if USA occupied a permanent place at the Football World Cup finals. This brought home forcefully the reality that we can become so accustomed to some things and persons that we start believing they are permanent. What a danger!

Today’s Daily Watchword provides a stark reminder: 
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like gnats. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. Isaiah 51:6

Scholars say that Isaiah 51 is part of Second Isaiah. It was written near the end of the Babylonian captivity, in a time when most of the Israelite exiles would have been born in captivity, never having seen Jerusalem. They would have spent their lives in servitude, and would be tempted to believe that Yahweh has either abandoned them or is not sufficiently powerful to help them.  It is a time of minimum hope and maximum temptation to follow after other gods. 

The emphasis in chapter 51 is comfort and encouragement. There are the promises that God will transform Israel’s wilderness into an Eden-like garden (v. 3), the people will find joy and gladness (v. 3), justice (v. 4) and salvation (v. 5). It also assures the people that the salvation that God offers, unlike the transient world with its ups and downs, is forever (v. 6). The heavens above, the earth beneath, and all that lives upon the earth are but for the moment. They will exist for a period of time, and then they will die. The heavens will vanish like smoke and the earth will wear out like an old pair of work clothes. The living things will die like gnats (flies).  

It is sometimes difficult for us to imagine that everything that we consider real will one day vanish. It is even difficult for us to contemplate our own death, even though we say “The only certainty in life are death and taxes.”  But we see it happen all around us every day – funeral homes have a steady clientele; hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes sweep away entire towns; fires destroy houses and cities, and the list goes on. Nothing in this life is permanent.

BUT God’s salvation is eternal and his righteousness which Christ has secured for his people, and by which they are justified, is everlasting. They shall not be broken, they answer all the demands of law and justice, stand firm against all the accusations and charges of men and devils, and shall not fail. Only God and his finished work of salvation and his guaranteed righteousness are eternal.

The text offers two thoughts:
Challenge – We must recognize that everything in life is transient, temporary and some trivial. Nothing lasts forever. Therefore, it is foolish to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. Instead, we should lay up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).

Comfort – We also receive a word of comfort that the challenges and pain we feel today are temporary, for joy will come in the morning. The aches, heartaches, sorrow, grief and burdens are temporary; they too shall pass. We learn the lessons of the present for the greater work God has in store for us in the future.

Prayer from the Daily Text:
Dear God, thank you for salvation through the obedience of you son, Jesus who is the Christ. Thank you for the preparations that have been made for us. Praise you for our deliverance from death and destruction. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Till next week, anchor your lives in the Lord. 

Jermaine Gibson

Saturday Reflection – 17 October 2020

“So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12

This was the second time, Moses had journeyed up the mountain, where he would again receive the Ten Commandments and deliver them to the children of Israel. We can remember that the first time Moses received the commandments, the people had turned to idolatry and worshipped a golden calf. When Moses saw this, he was so angry that he dropped the tablets of stone and they broke. This time, after the cleansing of the nation Israel, punishment and continued journey, Moses received a second pair of tablets bearing the commandments of the Lord.

This time the text records the question being asked – “…What does the LORD your God require of you? It is interesting because at this point – they had suffered the consequences for their sin and Moses was again instructed to lead the people to the promised land. It was God’s mercy being poured out upon his beloved, an though he gives the commandments to the people, he gives them the foundation and summation of their righteous living. That which he requires from his people.

Often times, we face this same question, having been saved from sin, washed in the blood of the Lamb and filled with the Holy Spirit. We may be at the same place where the children of Israel were, contemplating their next step as they journey to the promised land. So, what does the Lord require of us? We hear the answer in today’s watchword – “…Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” This can be said to be the total measure of Christian living.

In the answer, we see four main factors arising that sum up our Christian living. And all four flow into each other. For the foundation is to fear God. Proverbs 9:10 says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” In this Holy Fear, we are mindful of the watchful eyes and ears of God who guide us along the right path. Because we are mindful, then we seek to know his word and precepts and to obey them. Then we will seek to discern the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into all truth and obey the Holy Spirit. And because we love him, knowing that he first loved us and died for us. We then in response would now love him and serve him. Now then, when we develop that Holy Fear, then we will walk in all his ways, and will love him and will serve him with our all, because we know, how he has called us to live, and what he has called us to do. But that Holy Fear will drive us, in our love for God to put our best foot forward so that we may honour and glorify God. And when we stumble, we become mindful and contrite, which lead us to seek his forgiveness and restoration, so that we lead repentant lives.

God’s call to us as his children is simply this – fear him, understand that he is God – a just, righteous and good God who has called us righteous living. Seek to honour and glorify God. We honour and glorify God, by living as God called us to and serving God, that as we become disciples of Christ, we go and make other disciples. Yes, we reminded by the Lord Jesus “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (St. Matthew 5:16) And James brings this out, in today’s doctrinal text – that we honour and glorify God by doing what he has called us to do. We have called to “…be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” (James 1:22)

Until next week, let us continue to reflect on where we are, in fulfilling that which the Lord requires of us. May that Holy Fear burn within us, that we may walk in his ways, and may love and serve him with our very all. I leave you with the words of the prophet Micah, who put the same thought another way: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, NIV) Amen.

Dominic J. Blair

Friday Reflection
October 16, 2020
Be assured of God’s Protection

Good morning Friends, happyyyyyyy Friday to you all. I trust you are keeping well and if you are not,I hope after listening/ reading today’s reflection, you will be well both in body and spirit. Let the word of the Lord, be your “comfort food” for today and onwards.

Today we reflect on psalm 121. I found it very interesting that on Tuesday while we were having devotion at my place of employment, I asked the question “how are we assured of God’s protection? For ourselves and our loved ones!”

This question came to mind as I thought about the death of one on my most promising young sisters. She died 12 days ago, and I cannot seem to get why this most beautiful and blossoming young woman, just 22 years of age would just die like that? Of course I tired to find comfort in others, but also in God… But I still had the question ‘if we are assured this so called protection from God, then why?”

I think this passage of scripture puts it beautifully.

Some said that David wrote this psalm while he traveled, other said that he did it during a battle.. but either way serveral commentators agreed that it was written because Davdi at some point, experienced God’s protection and was very much assured.
Hear the words of the psalmist:
I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Psalms 121:1‭-‬8 NRSV
https://bible.com/bible/2016/psa.121.1-8.NRSV

Now you might say how does this answer my question. In the last and closing verse the psalmist exclaimed , the Lord will keep you from evil, he will keep your life! Keeping you from evil and keeping your “life” does not mean keeping you alive in this present world…

Even though we are guaranteed protection on earth from evil , we do not choose how we are protected. What am I saying? Our protection from evil and the preservation of our lives ( eternal) may very well be God taking us out of this evil world. I had to let that thought sink. Now it’s your turn to let it SINK!

I would close right there, but I also want us to remember that while we are still living here on earth, God is still keeping us , providing for us and protecting us. No matter what state you are in!

God Bless you.

Shaneka Raymore Euphfa

Thursday Reflection

October 15, 2020

Faithful prayer produces fruit

Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Mark 11:22

Today we will be reflecting on the lesson from the withered fig tree.

Jesus became hungry on his way from Bethany and he noticed a fig tree full of leaves so he thought he would be able to get some of it’s fruit. Fig trees normally have leaves only when it is in season. When Jesus got to the tree and searched the leaves he realized there was no fruit. Feeling deceived , he cursed the fig tree and it died the very next day. The disciples were shocked that the tree had withered and they surprisingly said “Rabbi the tree you cursed has withered” and he answered and said “have faith in God.”

According to Matthew Henry, God didn’t curse this tree to make an example for the other fig trees but for the Jewish church, to which he came seeking fruit but found none. It also goes to show that everyone who rejects Christ will also wither. A lot of us can be compared to the fig tree, full of leaves but we produce no fruit. We pretend to be righteous, to be pure but beneath all that is pure deception. So we all need to ask ourselves, do we act as if our trees have fruit but have none to show ? If God should inspect our trees would he find fruit?

He urged his disciples to have faith in God because the withering of the tree was not of his own will but because he prayed, trusted and had faith in God. He made it known that once you pray and believe that God can do it it will be done .

Similarly, it is through prayer and having faith in God that we produce the fruit that is required in season and out of season. So no matter which season God comes He’ll find us bearing fruit.

So I implore you all to not be fruitless trees but to strive to produce fruits for Christ through prayer and faith in the Lord.

Shalom

Toni-Ann Poyser

Wednesday Reflection, October 14, 2020

The Whole Duty of Man

Much can be said about man’s purpose on earth or any other place he may be allowed to venture. Myles Monroe in talking about unlocking one’s full potential expressed that our purpose here on earth is not to die old but to die finished.

Jesus said, ‘it is finished!’; Paul said, ‘ I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’ but what might you and I possibly have to say at the end of our life’s journey?

Jesus’ life was one of constant prayer, praise and thanksgiving to His Father. There were absolutely no illusions about what His purpose or duty on earth was.

So very often we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that our focus easily shifts and our priorities aren’t prioritized. Like the mere mortals we are, we forget what or duty is! We forget because we may be trying to get pregnant, meet a deadline, get married, promoted, find a job, make someone love us, get better grades, lead a healthier lifestyle, yada,yada,yada…the bottom line is we forget what our duty is, not in part but the whole of it.

In today’s watchword, we are reminded by Solomon, a perfect example of someone who was distracted by the many attractive offerings of the world and who was also driven by his own passions but who also recognized what was truly important and turned from his folly. Ecclesiastes 12:13, ‘Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone.

Brothers and sisters, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Not until we submit to the Lord, reverencing Him and applying His words to our hearts and lives, will we truly be able to understand that when we ask, and seek and knock we are unlocking the provisions the Lord has already made for each of us. In Acts 10:34-35 Peter said: ‘I truly believe that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

Until next week, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct your path.

Amen

Kerone Lamoth

A God Who Journeys With Us

The design of the first temple in Jerusalem was given to Solomon, who would build it, by his father David. David had designed the temple based on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and as he now gave the task of building to Solomon, he encourages him not to lose heart or become faint in the task. God would be with him to the very end. 1 Chronicles 28: 20 is the watchword for today. David said to Solomon, “The Lord God will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.” Regardless of the obstacles and opposition that Solomon would face in this task, of one thing he would be sure without the shadow of a doubt, God would be with him to the very end of his journey. God would see him through.

How could David be so sure that God would be with his son Solomon? A reading of the entire verse will help us to understand that. And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. What David was giving to Solomon was what he had, what he was assuring him of was what he had been assured of all his life. It was the presence of God. Whenever we left home as children and even after growing up and living on our own, my dad would always respond to our goodbyes with the same statement. “God go with you cause mi naah come”. What he was saying to us in actuality was ‘I am praying that God will accompany you since I am unable to’. That gave him the satisfaction of knowing that even away from his presence we would be ok. Away from his watching eyes we would be safe and away from his providing care we would be kept satisfied because we would be in God’s care and presence. He knew that even though he would not be there with us, he would not need to worry because God would journey with us and see us through.

Today I encourage us to know that we serve a God who surrounds us, protects and provides for us and guides us along the right path. In the midst of the uncertainties of life we have one certainty to cling to and it is that God will see us through. In the midst of political uncertainties, God will be with us. He will see us through financial uncertainties. He will see us through health uncertainties. He will see us through job uncertainties. He will see us through all the uncertainties of life for He has promised to journey with us to the very end. Regardless of what you are facing I can speak with certainty that my God will be with you and will see you through for as the saying goes, God is not blind to your tears neither is he deaf to your prayers. Indeed, God sees and hears and God will deliver. In the midst of sickness and disease which is rampant in our world, God is with us. In the midst of disasters all around, God is with us. In our personal pains and challenges, we are never alone, for God is with us. A second saying I would quote is this, ‘those who leave everything in God’s hands, will eventually see God’s hand in everything’. Friends we will struggle in this life. We will meet obstacles and opposition but as long as we keep trusting in God, we will make it, for God will see us through. Solomon walked with God and completed the temple, was blessed by God and is remembered as a great and wise king of Israel and Judah. When we walk with God and trust His ways, He will direct our path and lead us to accomplish much for His sake. I say to us today therefore, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and God will direct your path. Indeed, God walks with you will see you through. Amen.

Monday Reflection – October 12, 2020
From the Archives #2

Prelude:
I continue sharing from the Archives for this month of October. I share with us the reflection of October 23, 2017.

Reflection
What of Your Plans and Work? 
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

The New Century Version puts it this way, “Depend on the Lord in whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

We engage in planning every day, every week, every year. Many of us plan out our days and weeks. I have to plan out the routes to take when I’m going on the road or else I feel disoriented. Teachers engage in lessons plans, organizations set out daily and weekly schedules, institutions develop strategic plans. During 2016, the Moravian Church in Jamaica & The Cayman Islands spent the larger part of the year developing a 5-year strategic plan. 

It is important to plan, and as we regularly say, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. God is a God of plan; nothing just happens. We see the evidences of God’s plan in the ordered nature of creation and the uniqueness and intricacies of human beings. Yet, in the midst of our planning we ought to recognize, that any plan outside of God’s plan is destined for failure. Over and over again in the Bible, we are advised to commit our plans to the Lord so that we may receive his confirmation, and only then will they be established. Seek God’s directive in whatever we do and we will succeed. 

The obvious questions that arise are: what plans are we pursuing? Are our plans sanctioned by the Lord? What are our expected results? We plan so that we may be successful. That success is only guaranteed when God is leading the way. 

So many of us are always working, working, working. We are working for success in the many areas of our lives. Some of us are engaged in church work, yet we need to be sure that we are working for the Lord. One of my ecumenical colleagues once told the story of a member of his church who came to him complaining that he was tired of working for the church. As an insightful Minister, he told the member, “I’m happy. Stop working for the church and start working for the Lord.” We can be so hard at work and busy like crazy, but really achieving what? 

While we plan and work, God is interested in our work for him, but far more interested in his work in us. At my home church at Bethany, we learnt and sang this song: “Kids under construction, maybe the paint is still wet, wet, wet! Kids under construction, the Lord is not through with me yet.” It was such an exciting song and only later did I come to appreciate just how simple yet powerful it is.  Today’s Doctrinal text affirms this message: God is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 

Truly, God desires to be at work in us like the Potter, shaping and reshaping us into what seems good to him. So while we are at work, God is also at work. He is at work in us, while we are doing his work. May our desire and interest be more about God’s work in us than God’s work for us. The truth is when God is at work in us, our work is far more successful, beneficial and satisfying, for we do his will and reflect his character and glory. 

During this week, may we allow God to continue his work in us, and may we be productive in our work for him!

Till next week, remain on the Potter’s wheel.

Jermaine Gibson 

Saturday Reflection – 10 October 2020

“Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. St. Mark 4:39

For many weeks, our reflections have been centred around this global pandemic that we have been grappling with since March of this year. Even so, this week, we have been exposed to the many challenges that have arisen in the teaching-learning environment since the start of this academic year. We can also imagine the many social challenges that people face in these troubling times. All this can be properly characterized by Mary-Ann Baker in the words of her hymn saying “Master, the tempest is raging.”

The story as recorded in St. Mark 4:35-41 is a popular one. Jesus and his disciples moved by boat across the Sea of Galilee. Whilst moving to the other side, Jesus fell asleep and a violent storm had suddenly emerged. You can think about it, like this past week, where the sky was blue and the sun was shining and suddenly it began to rain, and almost immediately, that rain turned into downpour. You can now imagine the winds and the waves as it tossed the boat and water began to enter the boat. See the boat as it was about the capsize. Imagine the anxiety and fear that warped the disciples in that moment and in all of that, Jesus slept peacefully in the boat.

The text tells us that they woke Jesus asking him “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (vs 38b) Now imagine Jesus in the calmest possible sense, as he was awakened from his rest, and he gets up and commands the winds and the waves to stop and says the words “Peace! Be still!” And see, the wind ceasing and the waves calming down, the boat being levelled and a tranquil atmosphere surrounding where they were.

Have we been burdened, plagued with anxiety and fear by our own tempest that is raging? We can all identify with the challenges being brought on by the onset of COVID-19. Are we facing challenges whether connected to COVID-19 or not that are overwhelming us, and we feel like we are in a boat about to capsize? Do we feel that the Saviour is not with us in our storm? Do we have the feeling that he is not responding to our cries, nor does he feel our anxiety and fear? Do we feel like he is sleeping?

When Jesus had calmed the sea, he asked his disciples a simple yet profound question “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” (vs. 40) The disciples had the privilege of walking with Jesus and experiencing the teachings and miracles that he performed, and, in their minds, they still limited what God was able to do. Jesus was indeed in the boat with them, even as he journeys with us. Yet still, they awoke Jesus from a place of fear and anxiety, they probably even doubted that he was able to save them. It was not a place of surrender, nor one of faith and Jesus had to ask them this question.

We have heard the promises of God. We can testify to the goodness of God. Therefore, as we traverse to the other side of this pandemic, we are assured that Jesus is with us, and when we pray, we come to him in faith, believing that he is, and is able to save us from drowning. By his Holy Spirit, we can draw the strength that will transform our anxiety and fear to power, love and a sound mind. Today, we are reminded that while the tempest rage, Christ is breathing peace in our circumstances. We ought to be still and know that he is God. His word, as written is true and when he spoke, it stood fast. He reminds that he is greater than any storm, so as he journeys with us, let us hold on to his unchanging hand.

Until next week,
The winds and the waves shall obey thy will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, be still!

As he breathes the peace that passes all understanding, may we be still, and in faith, allow Christ to calm the storm. Amen.

Dominic J. Blair