A Good Word
A Ministry of Encouragement
editors
Julie Stephens
Sherryl Myrick
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up.
don't Be Afraid; just Believe
The words to the title of this lesson can be encouraging to us who may be going through a difficult period right now. As much as I wish that I would not worry about things, I often catch myself headed down that wrong path that leads to no value. Many of you know of my fear of bad storms. I’m trying to be better, but it wasn’t long ago that I got all nervous and worried about an approaching storm. I could clearly see the thunderstorm line headed my way on the Doppler radar, and I just knew I was about to be hammered by high winds and driving rain. However, by the time the front got to my house, it had turned into a cool breeze and a light (much needed) shower for my yard. I got “all worked up” for what turned out to be a blessing.
I know some of you are in the midst of a storm right now. The current condition of our economy has affected most of us, and I have recently caught myself looking at my business situation as if I’m looking at a weather radar seeing that approaching terrible storm. In the same manner that I have choices to make each day to do right or wrong, I also must choose in what I truly believe in the manner of my faith. I ask myself, “Can I worry away this situation, or do I really believe what I teach in this ministry?” Many may believe the answer is to just work harder in the skills they have developed through the years. That may work for some, but the storm may be bigger than your ability.
I find a very interesting storm situation in the Bible book of Mark 4. In this story we find professional fishermen caught up in what the Bible calls a “furious squall.” Now, it would be one thing if I were a charter boat captain taking you out on a deep sea fishing adventure, and as soon as I see the first dark cloud I’m racing back to shore as fast as my motor could go. But most sea captains have no fear of storms at all. They have the respect of what a storm can do, but storms are just a part of their occupation on the sea. The Bible tells us that Peter, John, James, and Andrew were all fishermen by trade, so at one time we have four professional skilled seamen in a boat at the same time, caught in a furious squall. I’m certain that they were applying all the skills that they had acquired through the years of being professional seamen in storms on the water, but it seems that their efforts to “fix” things just weren’t working. The Bible says, “the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped” (Mark 4:37). Do you often feel “nearly swamped?” Are you trying to “fix” your fear?
There is an important application in this story of only five verses in the book of Mark; (and the same story covered in four verses in the book of Luke.) Even though we may have many years of professional experience in what we do, where do we turn our trust and faith to when we are nearly swamped? We can choose to keep bailing water as fast and hard as we can as we try to guide our direction out of the storm. But when we are caught up in a furious squall, how do we know which direction to take? The clouds look dark in each direction. If the storm is a hurricane brewing, it would be treacherous to choose to head to the eye of the storm.
We must choose to do what these professional fishermen did; they asked Jesus to help. I’m certain they tried to do everything in their power to guide the boat out of the storm, but when they couldn’t “fix” their situation on their own, they turned to Jesus and said, “Teacher, don't you care if we drown?’”(Mark 4:38). I’ve decided to ask and depend upon the Lord Jesus in my daily provision and assistance in ALL of my needs of directing and supporting my family. I choose to ask Him daily to guide my direction well in advance of any approaching storms of life. I’ve already had the experience of steering my own boat in a storm as I held my ship’s wheel in one hand, and bailed water with my other hand. It didn’t work, and I was nearly swamped. His directional advice is: “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15 NIV).
In my Bible studies this week, I came across the title of this lesson in the book of Mark chapter 5. When I read these words spoken by Jesus, I felt a level of comfort that these same words should apply to me each time I fret about any situation. You can find these words in Mark 5:36, and I recommend that this be one of your short memory verses: “Don't be afraid; just believe.” Jesus spoke these words to Jairus, one of the synagogue rulers, who came to Jesus asking for the healing of his extremely sick daughter. Jairus had just received word of the most dreadful news possible, but Jesus comforted Jairus with the words, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” These words were offered to Jairus after the people around Jairus had told him that the disaster had happened, and there was no need to ask Jesus anything. The Bible says, “some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher any more?’”(Mark 5:35). Perhaps you may feel that your worse situation has already happened, and you don’t feel much like asking the Lord for anything?
The thing that is very interesting to me about the answer Jesus gives to Jairus is the fact that it is two very short statements, but personally, sometimes I don’t know which statement is easier for me to grasp. The only way for me not to be afraid is to believe, and the only way to believe is to not be afraid. The one thing the Bible is very clear about is faith. Webster defines faith as complete trust. The definition didn’t say a little trust, or trust in some things; it said complete trust. The Apostle James tells us that when we ask the Lord for help, we must place all our faith in that the Lord will help. James says, “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6). I must confess that I’m working on having this type of faith. I don’t think it is coincidental that just this week I have met a man with this type of faith, and have begun discussions with him about this subject.
If you are in one of the storms of life right now, you have two choices to make in how you will make it through: You can be on the top deck holding the wheel as tight as you can with one hand as you bail water with the other, utilizing all the professional skills you have acquired through your many years of experience, or you can be in the stern (the back) of the boat sleeping on a cushion. In the Bible story above with all the professional fishermen struggling against the “furious squall,” the Bible says, “Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion” (Mark 4:38). I’ve often wondered how Jesus could be asleep in a storm, but then I remember I’m the one with the fear of storms. I desire the faith that Jesus had in knowing that the Heavenly Father would provide safety in the storm. Let me encourage you today to let go of the wheel, and turn it over to the Lord to guide you in the storms of life. Go to the back of the boat, sit on the cushion and say, “Lord, you’ve got the wheel, I’m not afraid; I believe.”
Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
(Chorus to song: Because He Lives)
Robby
