Today’s Daily Bread ~ Our Father’s Arms

1 John 3:1 – See how very much our Heavenly Father loves us, for He allows us to be called His children, and we really are!  But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are His children.

Two nights ago, I had one of those moments with my son that I know I’ll treasure forever.

Nick has a deep chest cough, the kind that makes it difficult to sleep.  While Mike and I were downstairs watching TV, we heard our little boy climb out of bed and patter down the hall.  He and I smiled at each another knowingly, and my husband called out, “Nicky, back to bed, buddy!” 

Not a sound.

About fifteen minutes later, as Mike and I closed up shop for the night, I told him that I would make coffee if he would handle our son.

Our son did not want to be handled.

When I got upstairs, Mike was looking through our medicine cabinet for something to give Nick.  It took some coercing, but we finally got him to take it, and then I gently lifted him into my arms, and carried him to his room.

“I don’t want to go to bed,” wailed Nick. 

“I know sweetie,” I whispered.  “Let’s just snuggle for a few minutes.”  I sat down, hugged him close, and breathed him in.  I could feel his heartbeat, and the rise and fall of his chest with every breath.  Soon, his breathing evened out, and my sweet son fell asleep.

I sat there with him like that for about fifteen minutes, reluctant to turn the moment into a memory.  I thought about how much he trusted me, to be able to relax to the point where he could simply snuggle in and fall asleep in my arms. 

Then I thought about how many nights I’d lain awake, unable to sleep as the worries and concerns of my life swirled around in my mind, gaining speed and strength until they reached hurricane strength.

Mark 4:37-38 – But soon a fierce storm arose.  High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water.  Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with His head on a cushion.  Frantically they woke Him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t You even care that we are going to drown?”

The disciples, some of whom were fishers by trade, were likely in a boat similar to the one you see in the picture.  Jesus was not downstairs in a cabin, tucked in safe and sound.  He was probably on the floor of the boat while water poured in and rain poured down.  The disciples were nearly frantic with terror, but Jesus was sound asleep.  Pure exhaustion?  Possibly.  Is God trying to tell us something?  It certainly lines up with His character and with Scripture if He is.

Waves pounding.  Wind howling.  Rain pelting.  Lightning flashing and thunder booming.  And Jesus, safe in His Father’s arms, sleeping.

Mark 4:39-40 – When He woke up, He rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Quiet down!”  Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.  And He asked them, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still not have faith in me?”

The New International Version phrases Jesus’ command this way: He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”  Notice that there are two commands:  “Quiet!” and “Be still!”  There are two different words in the Greek used here in the original text of this Scripture.  “Quiet!” is translated from siópaó (see-o-pah’-o), meaning I keep silent, to keep silence either voluntarily or involuntarily, to hush, involuntary stillness or inability to speak. 

The second verb in the Greek is phimoó (fee-mo’-o), meaning I muzzle, silence, to put to silence.  Make no mistake about it.  Jesus quieted a storm that did not want to be quieted, and He kept it silent through the power given to Him by the Father.  The verbs indicate that Jesus not only silenced it, but held it back.

Mark 4:40 – And He asked them, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still not have faith in me?”

Jesus slept without fear, because He knew His power and from Whom it came.  He had absolute trust that, no matter what, His Father’s will would be done, no matter how fierce the storm looked from the world’s perspective.

Some of our storms are mild showers; annoyances.  Others register an F-5 on the scale.  But the Savior we worship is the same One who quieted the storm on the Sea of Galilee.  He is the same God who asks us, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still not have faith in me?”

To achieve a level of trust like that, we must know the One we are trusting.  We must spend time with Him every day, thanking Him for the blessings in our lives and resting in His plan for us.  His will is perfect.  His timing impeccable.  And His arms are open.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your constant Presence in our lives.  Please convict our hearts to seek You and know You more.  We want so much to trust You, Lord, but it can be so hard when the waves are crashing down on us.  Please fill us with Your Holy Spirit today, Lord, and reassure us that at any moment, You can tell our storm to Be still and it will.  Please reassure that when You don’t quiet it, You carry us through it.  Please help us to remember that we are sharpened through the storms, gaining patience and endurance.  Please help us to remember that Your thoughts are higher than ours, and Your ways are far beyond anything we can imagine.  Please help us to grow closer to You, until we are fully able to praise and worship You, come rain or shine.  We love You so much, and we pray these things in name above all names, Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior.  Amen.