Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Thursday 3/19/09)

The Message In The Music Marathon Continues, This Weeks Devotionals Are Being Written By My God Daughter, Who Has Been An Amazing Blessing In My Life, 

Tracy Koweh...

Who’s Your Umbrella?

 

Mark 4:35-41 (New Living Translation)

  ³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.  ³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” ³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  ⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

 

   Today’s music message comes from New Edition and their classic hit “Can You Stand the Rain.” Although the main theme of the song can be found by simply listening to the words of the chorus, the opening line says its best “On a perfect day I know that I can count on you. When that's not possible, tell me can you weather the storm?”

 

      Today was the first day in almost a week that the sun came out in Virginia and you would have thought God himself was handing out free money at my job. People were so happy and excited that the sun had come out for a little while and that the rain had finally stopped. I heard members commenting on how good they felt, and how the day seemed to just fly by - - - - - - unlike the past two dark and gloomy days.

 

       I started to think on my different relationships, jobs, and situations in my past where things got tough and I gave up. I think back now and wonder how much stronger I’d be had I roughed through the storm. I wonder how much closer to God would I be, had I trusted him to get me through the trials that were before me. Instead I stepped out on my own and out of His will and it took me a long time to see the SON again.

 

        In the natural, if you’re standing outside and it starts raining you can put on many types of rain gear, but nothing blocks more rain than a good and reliable umbrella. If in the right place and position, an umbrella can protect you from the wind and the rain. The same holds true in our spiritual lives. If we allow Jesus to be our umbrella and we set Him in the right place and position in our lives, He too will protect us from the storms. He will block the rain and the wind from harming us.

 

     The problem comes when we only want to serve God when it’s bright and sunny in our world. When things start to go wrong (in our minds), and changes happen that we don’t like we want to run and hide indoors all day. I can’t think of one rainy Sunday that I’ve went to church and the attendance of members was not lower than normal. People let the rain keep them from God, and that’s when we should be running to get under the shelter of His almighty wings.

 

      God created the Heavens and the Earth, so there is no storm too great for Him. The question is, can you weather the storm? The answer is yes because every storm in your life has been pre-approved by the Father. Anything that comes against you has already been given the green light by God. He allows you to be placed in positions where He is the only one who can bring you out. Don’t fear the storm, rather look for the quiet calm center that is Jesus Christ. You can let the rain drown you, or you can stand up tall under your umbrella and keep on stepping. The rain on the outside can’t touch you, if you let Him reign on the inside. Have a good day, and stay dry…………………….