A couple weeks a go, a dear friend recommended that I start blogging again. My initial thought. "What blog?" ;) I guess it has been a while. I tried a few times to put out something "postable" but I couldn't do it. I was too in the "middle" of a mess. I could have given you my perspective from there, but you wouldn't have walked away encouraged in any way. I have been laying low purposely lately for that reason.
But...I am on the other side now! Praise Jesus! (And I say that from the depths of my soul and not in a religious fashion). I give God glory and honor for the great things He has done. A weapon that was fashioned, crafted and tailor-made against me and my family, did not prosper. God's Word prevailed, both the written and spoken word. We did not shipwreck just like He said.
On February 24th, I woke up to a very strong word from the Lord. I felt that He told me to submit. So I thought..."Ok, Lord, I will submit to my husband (John)." "No, I want to you to submit to ME! Submit yourself to the Lord, resist the devil, and expect him to flee." Never in my times with the Lord before had I ever felt/heard his voice so clear and so assertively. I immediately kneeled on the side of my bed and reaffirmed my place. "What was the last thing I told you?" (God had recently spoken to me..."Peace Be still") So I quickly looked up Mark 4 (same story can also be found in Luke 8:22-25 and Matthew 8:23-27).
One day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? 39 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. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”[a] 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!
I did some study on it and I felt God ministering to me so much and so deeply from it.
1) Jesus invites them to come to the other side, the destination. To come on the boat, the vehicle. It's not just a boat ride itself but it has a purpose, take you where you need to be. The other side.
2) Storms arise even in the natural when hot air and cold air collide. When the hot air from the lifeless desert collides with the cool air from the lake filled with life and movement ...it will cause a conflict and create a tension...a storm. I wonder if the winds of the storm helped push them to the other side?
3)Jesus was in the stern resting while others on deck were panicking. Why? Jesus understood His purpose and destiny and dying in at sea was not it, so He had no fear. When you are unshaken in your calling, you can rest in the storm. When you aren't sure of your purpose and you are viewing the storm, you will be overcome with fear.
4)When the disciples came to the end of themselves, they woke Jesus. They viewed His trust and ability to rest as not caring and they saw their concern as more profitable. So, they awoke Him from his rest.
5)Jesus rebuking the storm was two fold. "Peace, be still", literally translated..."Hush...and muzzle your mouth". Interesting to note that He could have been saying peace to the disciples hearts and then harshly commanding the storm to cease.
6)The disciples gained a greater revelation of who Jesus when He calms the storm of both their hearts and their circumstances.
I wrote out it out in my journal and with the time and date. I felt that God had invited us out to the boat and He told me to come rest with Him in the stern. He told me not to get fearful of the storm that was coming, but to be certain of my purpose and that being shipwrecked was not it. "I did not ask you out here to shipwreck you but to take you to the other side." This was so clear to my heart.
I felt led for the remainder of that afternoon to cancel all plans, to not even do the sink full of dishes or bring in the laundry that was drying outside. I laid there on my couch with my head on a pillow with the worship music on because I was obeying that word. I was practicing resting at peace with Jesus in the stern of the ship. It was a good thing too.
I left the house that afternoon to pick Brayden up from school at 4pm. On the way home, we stopped at 7 11. I was pulling out when the accident happened....(many more posts to come)