Dear ADRA Family,
Another Sabbath is upon us, and with it a promise of peace during the storm that surrounds us. Though this global emergency does not include hurricane winds, rising tides, or black clouds, it feels like a storm all the same. We close the windows and lock the door; we fear to step outside; we wonder if we will survive.
I am reminded of another storm long ago, an event that was so memorable three different men wrote their own account of it.
“Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed him,” Matthew tells us. What happens next is agreed upon by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. “And suddenly a great tempest arose,” Matthew continues.
“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling,” Mark adds.
Luke agrees: “A windstorm came down on the lake and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.”
In their own words, each of the three disciples describes their fear. Each of the three remembers waking Jesus, who was asleep in the boat.
“Do you not care that we are perishing?” asks Mark. He continues to say: “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.”
This powerful miracle shocked the disciples. “Who can this be?” Luke wonders. “For He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
During this pandemic, some of us may feel that Jesus is asleep at the helm. The world feels out of control. We wonder if there is a plan.
There is a plan. Today is Sabbath, a gift from God, and my prayer this Sabbath is that you remember that God is in control. The Savior can command, even rebuke, the water and the wind, and He is still in control today.
My prayer is that you remember this promise. If you feel fear, or doubt, or anxiety, reflect on his words and find hope: “Peace, be still!”
May God bless you all.
This Sabbath, I encourage you to gather together with those who are in your house, or with a community of friends and family online and discuss the message of today’s Daily Hope. During this crisis, some of us feel a lack of motivation or meaning, especially with so few opportunities to leave the house. May this reflection give you peace and community.
- Think of a time you have felt overwhelmed by “wind and waves” in your life. What were the circumstances and how did Jesus provide you peace?
- What are 3 ways you can provide peace to your community, whether at home or online?
- We are told that Jesus rebuked the storm. What does that mean to you? How could that apply to this global health crisis?
- What does it mean to you to have faith during this “storm?”
- What is your prayer for yourself, your family, and others during this global health crisis?
