daily bread followed by some musings

Thunderstorm Thoughts
ODB RADIO: Listen Now DOWNLOAD: DownloadREAD: Matthew 8:23-27
The God of peace will be with you. —Philippians 4:9
I laugh every time I hear the radio commercial that has a woman shouting to her friend in conversation. She’s trying to talk above the sounds of the thunderstorm in her own head. Ever since a storm damaged part of her home, that’s all she hears because her insurance company isn’t taking care of her claims.
I’ve heard thunderstorms in my head, and maybe you have too. It happens when a tragedy occurs—to us, to someone close to us, or to someone we hear about in the news. Our minds become a tempest of “what if” questions. We focus on all the possible bad outcomes. Our fear, worry, and trust in God fluctuate as we wait, we pray, we grieve, and we wonder what the Lord will do.
It’s natural for us to be fearful in a storm (literal or figurative). The disciples had Jesus right there in the boat with them, yet they were afraid (Matt. 8:23-27). He used the calming of the storm as a lesson to show them who He was—a powerful God who also cares for them.
We wish that Jesus would always calm the storms of our life as He calmed the storm for the disciples that day. But we can find moments of peace when we’re anchored to the truth that He’s in the boat with us and He cares. —Anne Cetas
Fierce drives the storm, but wind and wavesWithin His hand are held,And trusting His omnipotenceMy fears are sweetly quelled. —Brown
To realize the worth of the anchor, we need to feel the stress of the storm.

wow! this really touched me today...i have to admit...i have had a lot of "thunderstorms" in my head lately...sometimes they drive me to the brink of pure panic...i guess especially over the political environment as of late...i must admit..it scares me..and it scares me to death...it is not a light feeling...it is a heavy heavy feeling...i KNOW God is with me, watching over me and taking care of my best interest daily, second by second...BUT i don't always FEEL like he is.....i tend to wander down the path of "what if's" and find myself at the brink of a DARK HOLE.....it is then that i must snap to attention and "crawl" back to my Saviour...and get that child-like trust back in place!

i believe that christians will be tested to their core in the next few years.....and i am guessing that my own panic is because i do not WANT to go down this road...i want life to be simple, uncomplicated, and lovely....i like life THAT way.....but i fear it will not be.....what i need is the child-like faith as i mentioned before...to put my hand into God's hand and follow, trust, and believe. this is easily written, easily said but NOT easily done in most cases!...wow...just think, in the devotion, above, the disciples had Jesus right there in the boat WITH them...they could touch and feel him...let alone SEE him with their eyes!...they could SPEAK to Him, FACE to FACE! and yet they were scared to death! i have always said as somewhat of a "joke", if you will, that if "only" i could touch Jesus...if only i could SEE Jesus...and yet....here these disciples were...with all the "if onlys" and they were still scared!...now we would like to say to them....YOU IDIOTS! what more could you ask for???...we , in the modern century wish we could have HIM here with us to touch, to speak to, let alone SEE Him....and you had him in the midst of the storm...right there IN THE BOAT ...and YET you panicked!.......

well people.....we are IDIOTS too.......for we have every bit of power, protection, and strength from Jesus as those disciples did, YET we do not trust....and therefore we do not obey... ONE DAY...we shall SEE HIM...FACE to FACE.......oh glorious day!