Category: <span>Devotional</span>

Mark 6:49-51

“When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.” 

Once, when I was a little girl, I woke up in the middle of the night and was terrified to find there was someone in my room. I was too scared to even cry out for help, and besides, if my mom were to come in this shadowy figure might hurt her. As I lay completely still and watched the intruder I wondered if he hadn’t fallen asleep. He was sitting very still in my chair. But I couldn’t see his eyes in the dark, and since I was also very still but very much awake, it stood to reason that we were just staring at each other. I’m not sure how much time passed or if I eventually dozed off, but as the early morning light began to filter through my window shades, I realized that I was alone in the room after all. A helium balloon that had started the night clinging to the ceiling in the opposite corner of the room had drifted and as it started to lose helium, it was hovering just above the chair. Add a few clothes and dolls carelessly left on the chair in just the right way and a frightening intruder was born. When I couldn’t see clearly, a cheerful balloon was transformed into the head of a creepy stranger.

A similar thing happened to some of Jesus’ friends once. They were in a boat in the dark and while they weren’t facing a dangerous storm, they were trying to row into a really strong headwind. They were working so hard but not getting very far. And on top of it all there’s a ghost-like figure approaching them on the water. 

They blink and squint into the darkness, willing their eyes to see more clearly. No boat. It is definitely just the form of man. He’s getting closer. Without a boat to stand in, the only explanation they can grasp at is that there is an actual ghost coming toward them. Of course they were terrified! 

Jesus reassures them that there’s nothing to fear. He identifies himself to them and joins them in the boat. On top of that, he takes care of that little wind problem they were having. So not only is the moment of fear over, but so is the struggle they were having without him. I’m not saying that they fully understood what had just happened, because I’m pretty sure they didn’t. But there was relief in their fearful hearts and in their aching shoulders that probably made understanding seem less important. 

I’ve heard it said that while we’re all in the same stormy sea that is the covid-19 crisis, we’re not all in the same boat. It’s true that we’re all struggling against different winds. Some are grieving loved ones, while others are struggling to make ends meet after suddenly finding themselves out of work. Still others are finding themselves overworked as they care for patients or conduct research around the clock in an attempt to end the crisis. Graduates are grieving the celebrations that should have been and parents are struggling with the unexpected role of teacher. Whatever boat we’re in, our collective muscles are aching from rowing into the wind, and all the while there’s something terrifying out there that we can’t quite identify.

When John describes this night from his perspective (John 6:16-21), he says that after Jesus identified himself to them, “then they were willing to take him into the boat.” (John 6:21, emphasis added). Jesus didn’t force his way into the boat, but the struggle against the wind continued until they invited him into it.

I pray that, wherever you are reading this today, your eyes would be able to discern Jesus coming toward you, offering relief from fear and struggle. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Whichever boat you find yourself in, know that Jesus sees you “straining at the oars” (Mark 6:48) and is ready to join you if you invite him into your boat. 

Moment of Beauty

Enjoy natural beauty today. If you have access to a park or other natural area, try to make time to take a walk and focus on the sights and sounds of nature around you. If you aren’t able to get out into nature today, take a few minutes to enjoy this peaceful stream. Take a few deep breaths and enjoy the calm waters.

2 Kings 6:16-17

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

I think it’s fair to say that most people are very aware these days that there is more to the world than meets the eye. As a microscopic virus imperceptibly spread to nearly every corner of the globe, it was probably the invisible nature of the threat that frightened us the most. Everything and everyone around us – from our neighbors to the shopping cart at the grocery store to the mail in our mailboxes – could be crawling with deadly viruses waiting to infect us. Or perhaps it had already infected us and we were unknowingly spreading it to our loved ones, since it seemed many people carrying the virus were asymptomatic. One more way the threat was hiding in the realm of reality that the human eye simply cannot perceive on its own. 

Of course we are scared of coronavirus. None of us is all that comfortable with things we can’t see.

That’s why I keep coming back to this passage in 2 Kings. Like a scene out of a great spy movie, the king of Aram keeps having his plans foiled because it seems like the king of Israel always knows what he’s about to do before he does it. The king of Aram suspects he’s got a mole on his team but it turns out the king of Israel is getting his information from Elisha the prophet. Needless to say, the king of Aram is less than thrilled and sends his spies to find Elisha so he can be “dealt with”. Elisha is found in the city of Dothan, so the king loses no time. Under the cover of darkness, he moves his army into place and surrounds the city. 

Early the next morning, Elisha’s servant sees what’s going on outside and reacts about how you might expect. When the sun went down the evening before, there was no army threatening, and now literally overnight it seemed that the whole city was doomed. “Oh no! What shall we do?” is how the NIV translation records his response, but I wonder if some of his reaction might have been lost in translation. I think if this guy had had a smartphone, there would have been a picture of the army on Instagram with some rather course language written all in caps, hashtag #wereallgonnadie. It would be cross-posted to Facebook where he would instantly have 30 comments that stoked his fear and also told him who was to blame for his imminent demise. 

Without access to all that “helpful” technology, the servant runs to Elisha with his fear and panic. He finds Elisha calm in the face of the crisis, and Elisha tells him not to be afraid. Are you seeing the pattern yet with people who are really close to God and their response to crisis? Don’t. Be. Afraid.

Elisha doesn’t even ask him to have faith in something he can’t see. Rather, he asks God to open the man’s eyes so that he can see the invisible reality about who is actually surrounding who. 

Friends, the realms of reality that our eyes can’t perceive on their own are not restricted to microbiology and pandemic-causing viruses. The news is not all bad. The threat of the virus is real and we should all be taking reasonable precautions. But far too many Jesus followers are in the public sphere and social media acting more like the servant than like Elisha. If people who are close to God are known for being calm in the face of crisis and encouraging the faith of the people around them, then perhaps we should all take a hard look at how we’re responding to the current situation. If someone were to scroll through your Facebook posts or email history for the past couple of months, would they see the attitude of the faithful prophet or the hysterical posture of his servant before his eyes were opened. 

I suspect we all have areas where we need to ask God to “Open our eyes so we may see.”

If you’re wondering how the story turned out, no one from Aram’s army was harmed and the way Elisha handled it resulted in peace between the nations. It’s definitely worth reading.

Moment of Beauty

This is one artist’s rendering of what Elisha’s servant may have seen when his eyes were opened. It’s a beautiful reminder that just because we can’t see God’s response to our difficulties doesn’t mean it isn’t incredibly powerful. I’m reminded of the words of the worship song: “This is how I fight my battles. It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by you.” As you contemplate the painting, pray that God would open your eyes to see how he is fighting your battles for you, and has a plan to bring peace for everyone involved.

Painting used with permission from artist Bill Osborne. 

Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV)

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?”

When all of this started – that week when it seemed like the world turned upside-down overnight – I went to Walmart to get a few things we needed. I think the sight of all those empty shelves is one I will always remember, along with the way I felt as I looked in vain for the items on my list. Disbelief, sadness, grief, and determination rose within me all at once. And fear. Plenty of fear. I remember buying things I didn’t need because I couldn’t stand the idea of leaving empty-handed. 

I directed all that anxious energy into keeping my family stocked with the basic things that we seem to always be running out of – milk, bread, eggs, peanut butter, cereal, and cheese. I didn’t realize it at the time, but searching for these things was a quest for security and certainty. My kids will eat this week. In reality we were never food-insecure and there was never a risk that my kids wouldn’t eat. They didn’t always get exactly what they wanted, but we never got close to true physical hunger. The hunger I was avoiding was something different.

A few days later, it was like God aimed a spotlight on the shadowy anxious places in me and I remember the moment of revelation. I was pushing a cart of groceries across a parking lot back to my car. There was milk in my cart, and eggs, and bread, and macaroni and I was thrilled. But there was another feeling there too. Like the things in that cart made me feel safer, and I was proud of myself for providing these things for my family. 

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you…” 

But when I was afraid, I trusted in gallon jugs of milk and picked over, half-smashed loaves of white bread. When I had those things, I felt ok, and when I didn’t have them, I felt afraid. 

One of the things I’m thankful for in this pandemic is the way it has forced me to face my definitions of security and how I respond to fear. I thought I found my security in God alone, but when grocery store shelves were empty, I learned that some of my security lay in always being able to buy anything I needed (and a whole lot of things I just really wanted). Those empty shelves opened Pandora’s box of fears and let me know that my trust wasn’t really where I thought it was. 

Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” I guess you could also say that some trust in milk and peanut butter. It turns out I do. I’m thankful that God is patient to keep refining me until the day when I can honestly say, “But I trust in the name of the LORD my God.” 

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can empty grocery store shelves do to me? What can coronavirus do to me? What can a bad economy do to me?

Maybe we can’t say it honestly yet, but the first step toward it becoming true is to acknowledge that it isn’t yet.

Moment of Beauty

Beauty can be appreciated with all of our senses. Today, stop to appreciate one of your meals. Breathe deeply and inhale the aromas of the food. Take a bite and savor the flavors. Pay attention to the textures and consistency in your mouth, and chew slowly. Thank God not only for providing this food for your sustenance and physical nourishment but also that he provides in a way that is enjoyable and nourishes our spirit as well.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

On weekends, I’d like to share relevant wisdom from theologians and wise faith leaders who have spoken into chaotic and uncertain times in the past. May we learn from those who have gone before and gain the perspective that “this, too, shall pass.” They are the “great cloud of witnesses” that surround us and help us persevere in running our race.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who is well-known for being an outspoken critic of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party’s rise in Germany. Here is an excerpt from a sermon he preached on January 15, 1933:

“The overcoming of fear—that is what we are proclaiming here. The Bible, the gospel, Christ, the church, the faith—all are one great battle cry against fear in the lives of human beings. Fear is, somehow or other, the archen­emy itself. It crouches in people’s hearts. It hollows out their insides, until their resistance and strength are spent and they suddenly break down. Fear secretly gnaws and eats away at all the ties that bind a person to God and to others, and when in a time of need that person reaches for those ties and clings to them, they break and the individual sinks back into himself or herself, helpless and despairing, while hell rejoices…

“Learn to recognize this sign in your own life. Learn to recognize and understand the hour of the storm, when you were perishing. This is the time when God is incredibly close to you, not far away. Right there, when everything else that keeps us safe is breaking and falling down, when one after another all the things our lives depend on are being taken away or destroyed, where we have to learn to give them up, all this is happening because God is coming near to us, because God wants to be our only support and certainty. God lets our lives be broken and fail in every direction, through fate and guilt, and through this very failure God brings us back; we are thrown back upon God alone. God wants to show us that when you let everything go, when you lose all your own security and have to give it up, that is when you are totally free to receive God and be kept totally safe in God. So may we understand rightly the hours of affliction and temptation, the hours in our lives when we are on the high seas! God is close to us then, not far away. Our God is on the cross.”

Read the full text of this sermon.