Day Forty-Five: What’s in Your SOIL?
“41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'” (Mark 4:41, NIV)”
The power of the soil, or environment is the theme of Mark 4. Jesus spent a considerable amount of time discussing the importance of hearing and receiving God’s word. We know within the educational context that when a teacher communicates a concept and then spends significant time reinforcing the idea, his students need to pay attention to what he is saying. However, no matter how clearly the information is communicated, students still misunderstand. And, this is no more apparent than through the verse above.
The disciples, who had already seen several miracles, were amazed at Jesus’ ability to calm the storm. Yet, this time the amazement translated into being “terrified.” A closer look at the Greek word reveals that they were actually in awe and reference to Jesus. This one event shifted their perspective and view of Him. Additionally, they discovered that the natural forces of nature obey Him. The word “obey” means to hear and comply. The wind and wave listened, understood, and fulfilled the command of Jesus. Apparently, obedience is CRITICAL to faith.
Consider a verse from the Old Testament, “But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22, NIV) Throughout the scriptures, God speaks to the importance of obedience and to the impact that obedience has on faith. Until we receive this truth deep within our souls, we will continuously struggle to bear fruit, know peace, hear God’s voice, know God’s will, see God move, walk in God’s blessings, etc.
So, maybe we need to look at the storm in the context of our relationship with Jesus. What if the wind and waves you are facing exist to take you from being afraid of a “storm” to being “terrified” of Jesus? And, what if being terrified makes you obedient? When we grasp that obedience strengthens faith, we discover that every storm is a gift from Jesus to walk in a higher level of intimacy with Him, which results in greater power to fulfill His calling in our lives.
Blessings,
Andy Smith