OUR DAILY BREAD : THUNDERSTORM THOUGHTS

[cimi]

April 21
Tuesday


THUNDERSTORM
THOUGHTS

READ:
Matthew 8:23-27
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The God of peace will
be with you.
__Philippians 4:9
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I laugh every time I hear the radio commercial that has a woman shouting to her friend in conversation. She's trying to talk above the sounds of the thunderstorm in her own head. Ever since a storm damaged part of her home, that's all she hears because her insurance company isn't taking care of her claims.

I've heard thunderstorms in my head, and maybe you have too. It happens when a tragedy occurs--to us, to someone close to us, or to someone we hear about in the news. Our minds become a tempest of "what if" questions. We focus on all the possible bad outcomes. Our fear, worry, and trust in God fluctuate as we wait, we pray, we grieve, and we wonder what the Lord will do.

It's natural for us to be fearful in a storm (literal or figurative). The disciples had Jesus right there in the boat with them, yet they were afraid (Matt. 8:23-27). He used the calming of the storm as a lesson to show them who He was--a powerful God who also cares for them.
We wish that Jesus would always calm the storms of our life as He calmed the storm for the disciples that day. But we can find moments of peace when we're anchored to the truth that He's in the boat with us and He cares. __Anne Cetas
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``````````````Fierce drives the storm, but wind and waves``````````
```````````````````````Within His hand are held,`````````````````
`````````````````````And trusting His omnipotence````````````````
```````````````My fears are sweetly quelled. __Brown`````````````
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To realize the worth of the anchor,
we need to feel the stress of the storm.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 8:23-27**********

23 Now when He got into a
boat, His disciples followed
Him. 24 And suddenly a
great tempest arose on the
sea, so that the boat was
covered with the waves. But
He was asleep. 25 Then His
disciples came to Him and
awoke Him, saying, "Lord,
save us! We are perishing!"

26 But He said to them,
"Why are you fearful, O
you of little faith?" Then
He arose and rebuked the
winds and the sea, and there
was a great calm. 27 So the
men marveled, saying,
"Who can this be, that even
the winds and the sea obey
Him?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In the larger section of Matthew 8:1-9, nine miracles are
recorded to authenticate that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah
(see also John 10:36; Acts 2:22). They show that He has authority
over disease--leprosy, paralysis, fever (8:1-15), over demonic
powers (8:16-17, 28-34), over people (8:18-22; 9:9), and, here in
this passage, over nature (8:23-27). Because the Sea of Galilee,
13 miles long and 8 miles wide, was some 700 feet below sea level
and surrounded by mountains, sudden and violent storms were
common. This passage also gives us a snapshot of who Jesus is: His
humanity is seen in His tiredness (v.24), and His deity is revealed
when the storm obeys Him (vv.26-27). __Sim Kay Tee