From Beside the Still Waters...
The Gift of Peace - Read: Mark 4:21-41
"He ... rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." - Mark 4:39
When we think about peace, do we form a mental picture of a calm and quiet place far removed from distractions? We enjoy peaceful settings where we can relax by a stream, listen to water rippling over rocks, see cattle grazing in fields, or observe the quiet grandeur of a mountain. People may seek peace through sports and vacations or through drugs and alcohol, but then find only a sense of emptiness within when it is all over.
In today's Bible reading, Jesus was sleeping in peace while a storm raged! Was He unaware of the danger? No. But His disciples were terrified and woke Him, saying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" The peace that Jesus experienced did not depend on outward circumstances, but on a quiet confidence in His heavenly Father. Jesus knew that God is sovereign and can control any storm.
We may be in a peaceful setting without really having inner peace. Or like Christ, we may be in a troubled, storm-like event and still have peace in our hearts. This is possible only through Jesus, who offers inner peace that depends on a connection with our heavenly Father. We have true peace of mind because our hearts are filled with God's love and surrounded with God's care and goodness. Such peace the world can never give.
It is good to enjoy the peace of a quiet, serene place. But a peaceful place in itself cannot give peace to a troubled, longing heart. The gift of true peace comes only from Jesus Christ. "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace" (John 16:33).
Daniel Miller - Abbotsford, WI
No water can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and skies;
they all shall sweetly obey My will:
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
- Mary A Baker
Be Still - Read: Exodus 14:8-31
"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." - Psalm 46:10
Today's key verse has a special message from God to each of us. To be still is to be quiet. Do we know how to be quiet? To rest in the Lord? To trust and yield our lives to Him? To let His peace calm our fears and worries? In our busy lives today, it is easy to push God into a corner. Our wealth and easy life dulls our sense of needing God. To be still before Him is a spiritual discipline. It does not happen automatically.
Notice that this verse does not end with "Be still"; it continues with "know that I am God." Being still is essential for a proper perspective of who we are and who God is in His unspeakable greatness, glory and holiness. It is to connect with God and know Him personally. It compels us to call on Him when we feel alone or we face a great need.
Moses told the Israelites, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." They were in a desperate situation, with mountains on both sides, the Red Sea ahead, and Pharaoh's army behind. God has the same message for us in difficult times. "Stand still. Fear not. Trust in Me, and I will deliver you."
The last part of Psalm 46:10 speaks of God's sovereignty: "I will be exalted in the earth." As we bow to His supreme rule, God will be exalted in our lives. This place of surrender to Almighty God is a heavenly place in Christ (Ephesians 2:6), a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God. Let us still our hearts before Him. Let us allow His presence to calm our fears, quiet the clamor in our lives, and move us to worship our sovereign God.
David Schrock - Rutherford, TN
The quieter we become, the more we can hear.
