Thursday, August 17, 2017

“Why? How?"


"Why?  How?"
    

    Faithfully or fearfully?  The paths lie before us as we live our lives, beckoning us to confidence or consternation, peace or perplexity, strength or weakness, life or death.

    The Lord Jesus Christ confirmed the contrast of faith and fear in His challenge to disciples who chose terror over trust.

    "He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?  How is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:39-40).

     "Why fear?  How unbelief?"  In those times when we, like the disciples of old, determine that wind and the sea are greater than our Master, He might ask us the same.  By the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, our Lord is even nearer to us than He was to Peter, James, John, and the others of the Twelve.  He was with them.  He is within us.  Thus, the questions "Why?" and "How?" present to our hearts even greater challenge.  Why do we disbelieve?  How can we descend into the abyss of fear?  What about our risen and perfectly faithful Lord do we fail to know or understand?  Can any wind or wave transcend His overcoming and involved presence?  Patiently and persistently, the Spirit of God and the Word of God press our hearts to journey upon the path of faith rather than descend into the chasm of fear.

    Why peace?  How faith?  These are the more positive questions that should characterize our walk with the Lord.  The answers?  The Prince of Peace.  The God who "cannot lie" and whose "faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds" (Titus 1:2; Psalm 36:5).  During the storm, the disciples found the Lord Jesus "in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow" (Mark 4:38).  He so trusted His Father that a peaceful heart and a tired body led Him to the pillow of rest.  The disciples should have known that their Master's repose meant they were in no danger.  The same is much more true of us.  The Lord Jesus now rests, as it were, upon the Throne of Heaven.  He overcame death, hell, and the grave to occupy His Heavenly repose.  "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12).  Thus, if we can look into the Heavenlies by faith and see no furrow of worry upon His face, no sweat of concern dripping from His brow, and no look of alarm in His eyes, we can rest our hearts with Him.  We can choose the path of faith, the path of peace, as administered by the Prince of peace.  Why peace?  How faith?  Why and how could it be otherwise?

"Thou wilt keep him in peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee."
(Isaiah 26:3)
"In the world ye shall have tribulation.  But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
(John 16:33)

Weekly Memory Verse 
   "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth."
(Psalm 145:18)
    

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