"Oh, Yes, He Cares"

On Jesus' instructions, the disciples had sent the crowd away and had set out to go over to the other side of the lake into the country of the Gadarenes (Mark 5:1). At some point in the journey, Jesus, being tired after ministering, fell asleep, head on a pillow, in the back of the boat. Everything seemed fine as they left out but then the narrative tells us that after a while, "there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full" (Mark 4:37, KJV). The word translated "storm" could also have been translated "squall", which Webster defines as "a sudden violent wind often with rain or snow." Despite some of the disciples being seasoned fishermen, they seemed overwhelmed by what had overtaken them. So much so that Mark wrote, "and they awake him (Jesus), and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (v. 38).

The disciples' words reflect the feelings of some of us when we are overtaken by life's storms and circumstances. When it seems that the phrase "God doesn't give us more than we can bear" seem more of a cruel joke than it is our reality. "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" rings true from the depths of our soul as we face our respective challenges. However, let us not lose heart because Jesus did not sleep through the disciples' despair, but "he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (v.39). Those of us who profess Jesus as Lord should be encouraged that he responds to the cries of the sincere, and not only does he respond, but he has all power and authority to rebuke every adverse wind in our lives and speak peace to our troubled hearts and minds.

Though they woke Jesus in a moment of despair, the disciples recognized that he was the only one that could do something about the situation. Once he had calmed the storm, he looked at them and asked, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" (v.40). Our part is to do as Peter reminds us, "(Casting) all your care upon him, for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7, KJV). He will take care of the rest.

As you face the squalls in your life, how do you respond? What would he say to you? I trust and pray that whenever we find ourselves asking if God really cares, we can sing triumphantly with the hymn writer:

"Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares / His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long nights dreary / I know my Saviour cares."

Experiencing Joy

Most of us have at least one person we enjoy being around. Whether we see them every day or only occasionally, the times we anticipate seeing them in person can be absolutely delightful. Our desire for relatedness, stoked by our desire to know and be known, influences the connections we make with others and often times give birth to these meaningful relationships. Maybe even now you're sitting across from, or thinking about, such a person, and if you are, you're probably smiling as well. I know; I've been there.

I thought of this as I reflected on what David was likely feeling when he wrote of God, "In thy presence is fulness of joy" (Psalm 16:11, KJV). Though Peter used this Psalm in reference to Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection (see Acts 2:25-28, KJV), for those of us who know the feeling we can agree with the Psalmist that there's a "fulness of joy" that we experience whenever we are in the presence of the Lord. This is especially so during times of individual or corporate worship. The word 'joy' in the text could also have been translated 'exceeding gladness'. Not just mere gladness, but exceeding gladness - a state of being characterized by emotions such as tears and/or laughter. Being in God's presence is our ultimate place of refuge from the hustle and bustle of our day to day living. It is the place where we can take our doubts, our fears, our anxieties, and our burdens, and leave with not only His peace, but also His joy.

Though all humanity is in His presence, God invites the believer into a more personal realm of intimacy and it is this realm that I believe David was talking about. The beauty in all this is that we can enter into it from anywhere. Being stuck in traffic, being in a lineup, sitting at our desks, it really doesn't matter. There is no need for the child of God to walk around joyless. Just thinking about Him, who He is, what He had done for us, and the hope we have in Him through Christ Jesus, should provoke unspeakable joy (2 Peter 1:8, KJV). If we are able to get to that point in our thoughts, can you imagine what it would be like to enter more intimately into His presence?

Some might argue that things and circumstances kill our joy at times; however, as Oswald Chambers reminds us, "Happiness depends on what happens; joy does not." In other words, no matter the circumstances, we can have joy (see James 1:2-4). I struggle with that at time until I remember being in His presence makes all the difference.

"In thy presence is fulness of joy." Have you experienced that with Him lately?

"Wilt Thou Be made Whole?"

Jesus' encounter with the man at the pool of Bethesda, as recorded in John 5: 1-9, is a fascinating story. Here was a man afflicted with infirmities for thirty-eight years, whose excuse for his prolonged condition was that "I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me" (v. 7). I have often wondered where was his family? His friends? Did he not have anyone who cared enough about him to get him to the edge of the pool so that when the angel troubled the water, he would be among the first to step in? That aside, I have always been intrigued by verse 5: "When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"
It seems to me that Jesus' question spoke to the man's will, his desire. Had he become so comfortable in his condition that healing would have been nice but it was no longer a pressing need for him? I think of some people, Christians included, who seem to relish the role of victims, constantly rehashing and reliving all the negatives that have happened to them. They themselves will admit that such a state is stressful and make them unhappy, yet no matter how many people have tried to help them move along in their lives, they are stuck. Like the man at the pool, their total identity is now wrapped up in their condition; it defines them.
Yet how liberating it is when Jesus comes on the scene. It is not His will to leave us in our present state but He comes asking the question: "Will thou be made whole?" I find it interesting that Jesus did not ask him if he wanted to be healed. That would only address his current infirmities, but by asking him if he wanted to be made whole, I believe that Jesus was not only speaking of his physical infirmities but to the total man. He was asking, "Do you want to be healthy spiritually, emotionally, and physically?"
The Healer is asking the same question of us today. I do not know what condition has been holding you hostage, but whatever it is, rest assured that Jesus can set you free. John tells us, "Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked." He can do the same for you. He's just that kind of God.

"Hast Thou Considered My Servant Job?"

Satan was probably minding his own business. As a matter of fact, when asked by the LORD "Whence comest thou?" he replied, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it" (Job 1:7, KJV). But the LORD did not stop there. His next question to Satan was one that Christians everywhere are probably familiar with: "Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (v.8).

The events following this interaction are acutely detailed in the Old Testament book of Job. Some believe this to be the oldest book in the Bible; God allowing man a glimpse into the unfolding of the drama behind evil and suffering, especially in the lives of some of His people. A glimpse that not only shows Him initiating events but in His sovereignty, allowing Satan limited room to orchestrate those events. The question, "Hast thou considered my servant Job?" is profound. Job, whom God described as "a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil," was doing His best to serve the LORD. Yet, God not only saw it fit to bring him to Satan's attention but to remove His hedge of protection from around him (vv. 12; 2:6) for him to be afflicted with seemingly incomprehensible and unjustifiable suffering.

Interestingly, in his second discussion with Satan regarding Job, the LORD not only asked the same question but added "and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause?" (2:3). For standing firm, Job was "rewarded" with more affliction. With God's permission, Satan "smote [him] with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown" (2:7). Despite the challenge from his wife to "curse God and die" - a somewhat understandable cry of bitter disappointment with God - the writer tells us, "In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (v. 10).

What does all of this have to do with us, especially those who are serving the LORD faithfully? Good question! What if He brought you to Satan's attention? Could you be Job? What if He has already brought you to Satan's attention? The trials and tribulations you are going through testifying to God's temporary removal of His protective hedge. Can you be Job in the midst of your afflictions? Three observations from the narrative that should help us on our journey: 1) The LORD was always in control of the situation. Satan could do nothing without His permission; 2) Satan was limited by the LORD in what He could do to Job; 3) Job's faith in God and God's faith in Job were both vindicated and God gave him double for his trouble.

"Hast thou considered my servant Job?" Replace Job's name with yours. Could God trust you to remain faithful the way He trusted Job?

Taking Authority

Paul and his companions were on their way to prayer when they were constantly interrupted by "a certain damsel [slave girl] possessed with a spirit of divination" (Acts 16:16, KJV). According to the narrative, "The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days" (vv. 17-18a). Now, one day would probably not have been a bad thing. Two days, probably tolerable. But "many days" saying the same thing over and over would be aggravating, especially when one was trying to go about one's legitimate business. Therefore, it was not surprising that the time came when "Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, 'Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!' And it was gone, just like that" (v. 18b, The Message).

In this passage of text, we often marvel at the immediacy of the effect of the apostle's words. However, let us take notice of something equally significant. Paul did not address the girl but rather the spirit that was at work in her. It was clear that she had no control over what she was doing and as such it would have been pointless to rebuke her for her actions. By walking in the authority that is in the name of Jesus, Paul was able to not only speak to the spirit but to command it to come out of her. Because at the name of Jesus everything in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth must bow (Philippians 2:10), the spirit had no other choice but to obey.

These thoughts came to mind as I reflected on how we approach our obstacles/problems. By habit we "take our burdens to the Lord" by telling Him about them and trusting Him to work them out. However, Jesus also said, "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith" (Mark 11:22-23, KJV). From what I can tell, "say to this mountain" means speaking to the problem. In other words, it is one thing to tell God about the problems, but it is another thing to tell our problems about God!

 Just maybe we need to take our faith to the next level and start speaking to oppressive spirits and situations. As long as we are in the will of God, we have the assurance that if we do not doubt, we can have whatsoever we say. Instead of "fighting" with people and situations, let us combine faith with action. Start speaking to those "mountains" and watch the move of God unfold as said "mountains" do as we command. All in the name of Jesus.

"I Thank God for You"

I have been blessed to have people in my life, past and present, who in their own unique ways have added, and continue to add, measures of richness to my life that has blessed me tremendously. When I think of these people I do so in ways that often make me smile, and at times, with mixed emotions. Some of the lessons learnt over the years have been invaluable, and in the hustle and bustle of everyday living they have served me well in many different ways.

These thoughts came to mind as I reflected on a couple of Paul's salutations to his friends. To the Philippians he writes, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy" (1:3, 4), and to Philemon, "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers" (1:4). Friends that cross our paths through divine appointments are priceless. Whether for a reason, a season, or a lifetime, these are the people who usually see us at our best and often times at our worse. They are always thinking of us and even without always knowing what is going on at any given moment, they are often holding us up in prayer. Our greatest joy is their greatest delight, and when we are bruised and wounded by life's events, we can count on them to be there in our hours of need.

Someone once said, "A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers, blesses you with love, and encourages you with hope." There is a lot of truth in that statement, and I believe this was some of what the Apostle experienced with those he addressed, prayed for, loved, and encouraged. People who bring out the best of who we are and who are delightful to be around for all the right reasons. Do you have proven friends like that? Today is as good a time as any to send them a note to say "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you ... making mention of you always in my prayers." And while you're at it, make sure to really thank God for them.