This passage describes a scene of distress at sea like those in the movies with great captains. But this scene is different from the ones we usually see at the big screen. It acknowledges that the sailors were skillful but the mighty sea proved to be a bigger and mightier opponent. So much so, to the point that hope of survival was dimming every minute, and then something happened in the middle of the ordeal. When their skill and knowledge got to their end point, they cried out for help and that made all the difference. They knew that nothing else could be done and that the situation was beyond their human endurance. Psalm 107:28-29 tells us that they asked God for help, not knowing what more to do for their preservation; all of their wisdom was swallowed up, and they were ready to give up.
Doesn’t this seem familiar? Many times we are in the middle of a situation we cannot control. We got into it, but then it became uncontrollable. We thought we could manage a business and then the trend went the opposite way. A promising job is cut after a short period of time due to unforeseen factors. We trusted that someone would keep his or her word and honor a promise and that didn’t happen. An external factor has created a storm in the path of your life and you are in distress. You have tried everything you know that worked in the past, but now it doesn’t. And you are out of options. But this is not an issue of skill but of trust.
The same happened when Jesus told the disciples to cross to the other side of the sea, and then a raging storm menaced to sink the boat. He was in he stern sleeping and they were trying to control the vessel. When they cried out to Him he hushed the storm and everything became calm. I refer sometimes to this event as if Jesus woke up and said to the sea, “Hey, cut the attitude, I’m here.” In times of trouble, cry out to the Lord. The force of the seas of life are something we cannot control or tame. But the psalmist describes here a beautiful picture, “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.” Wow, wow, wow!, was my expression when I read this. How amazing it is to know that God can just hush any situation in your life and what seems like a raging storm, be converted into a whisper! It not only brings peace to our souls but a confidence that even when we might not have the knowledge or the power or the skill to manage many situations in our lives, He is the Almighty and he is hearing our cry. He can tell that situation that is menacing your very existence, “Cut the attitude, I’m here, he’s with me, she’s with me.’
Don’t be shy, call on to Him and cry out for help. This issue is no match for his power. And you will see this situation convert from a storm to whisper.
“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”
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© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2013
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. 2005. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Text is a great tool. It saves time and in occasions is the best way to communicate important information when we are in a middle of a meeting or in noisy places that make it difficult to talk. Sometimes we just want to reach someone and a personal conversation is practically impossible. Our lives are full with meetings, errands, work, family and many other things that we are usually exhausted and, let’s admit it; there are days or moments that we don’t want to talk to anyone. However there is no way for a text conversation to convey any real sense of intention, mood or emotion. When you use text to communicate with someone, there is a lot lost in the process. Texting more often than not, can be misinterpreted or construed in the wrong way. Face to face conversations or even phone conversations are always better.
There is no explanation (at least none that I found) that would explain why the children of Israel let foreigners leave Egypt with them. There are many theories. That they were probably slaves from other races or even egyptians that decided to walk out with the Israelites after seeing all of the plagues that had come to the land. The matter of the fact is, that they are called the rabble. This is a strong word. It denotes the mindset and a set of customs of people considered among other things, trouble makers, mob, inciters, complainers, people considered socially inferior, in short the crowd you would usually avoid.
BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE boldly 