“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all, but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” ~ Martin Luther
Too often, we believe that following God and obeying God’s commands means we will enjoy a comfortable life, full of God’s promises and happy ever after endings. While there is much truth to this idea of what it means to follow God, follow God is challenging and may end in physical death. In our Gospel reading today, the disciples obeyed Jesus when He told them to take the boat and cross over to the other side, only to get caught in a violent storm that threatens their very lives and scared the heebie-jeebies out of them. Darkness was all around them, but only for a while, then Jesus calmed the storms, and the light returned. Was the darkness from the devil, or because God put his hand in front of the light, causing the momentary shade to test the disciples and teach them a spiritual lesson. Jesus says to them, “where is your faith” (Luke 8:25 CEB). There have no doubt been moments in our lives where the darkness we experienced was the shade from God’s hand. If we live the kingdom life, then we must trust that God is in charge and can handle any situation we find ourselves in at the moment. Our job is to trust God, obey God’s commands, and serve God’s kids in the kingdom.
Scripture Readings
Reflection Questions
- What did you take away from today’s reflection and scripture readings?
- What parts of your life have you placed in God’s hands?
- Where is your faith when you experience darkness?
- You are looking back on your life when you have experienced the shade from God’s hand?
- How can we know if the darkness we experience is from the devil, God, or simply life?
- How many times have your darkest moments been following by tremendous blessings?
Prayer
Lord, Thank you for allowing me to put my life in Your hands, all of it, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Please help me to have faith in Your words and promises, even during complete darkness. Please grant me the strength to lean into You rather than my fears when I experience darkness again, which I know is part of the human experience. In Your Spirit and Name, I pray these things. May Your will not mine always materialize, now and forever, Amen.
Leave a Reply