Moment of truth

Oren Lev Ari, May 2011.

Let's refer to the Gospel of Mark, chapter 4, where starting from verse 35 we read the following:

"That evening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the east side." So they left the crowd, and his disciples started across the lake with him in the boat. Some other boats followed along. Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink.

Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep. His disciples woke him and said, "Teacher, don't you care that we're about to drown?" Jesus got up and ordered the wind and the waves to be quiet. The
wind stopped, and everything was calm.Jesus asked his disciples, "Why were you afraid? Don't you have any faith?". Now they were more afraid than ever and said to each other, "Who
is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

We read here, how Jesus said to His desciples: "let's cross to the east side". So obeying his word, they started to cross. But in their voyage a powerful storm took them by surprise. Suddenly they landed in a situation of a real trial. Desciples found themselves in critical, crisis circumstances, that same "moment of truth" - circumstances under which every man is able to see his true inner condition.

In our life, similar things often occur, someone passes through it more often, someone more rarely. But sooner or later we all pass through our tests. Pay attention that it happened in the "evening time",  evening - is symbolic of a time when darkness gathers in the spiritual world.

I would like to briefly highlight the next three main points from which we can and should learn in this story:

1) No matter what kind of darkness may gather around us, our enemy, the devil, will not and can not do anything to us, but what our Heavenly Father permits him. Understanding of this truth and assurance in it, are crucially important. And if real storm comes into our life, things and events that shake us up to the very core, we should also
remember the following:

2) Jesus - He is with us, in our boat. A boat is an image of the covenant between God and man. And our covenant with God is unsheakable, because it's founded by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and is sealed with His blood.

3) Among storms and stresses, when the waves beat against the boat, and it starts to fill up with water, the Word spoken by Lord Jesus should keep us - "let's cross to the other side". If where the storm cought you, you are there because of the word of Jesus - then His Word will be decisive.

A great storm comes into our lives not because we are so great. More often than not, trials befalling our lives try to change our focus to what is happening around us, to the circumstances, inner fears, ourselves, and take our attention off from that Word which Jesus told us. Darkness comes to steal the Word from us, for devil comes to steal, kill and to destroy. But Jesus Himself said: let us cross unto the other side! If we refocus our gaze from what happens to us, and look unto the Lord, and evaluate the situation around us with the spiritual eyes, then we will unmistakenly understand, see and remember, that Jesus is in our boat! And so, we will be able to pass these trials with dignity,  if we look unto Jesus and remember what He said: "let us cross!" Without doubt, after this trial, we will be able to enter a new level of trust for the Lord, a new level of relationship with Him, a new level of walking with Him.

Dear friends, i would like to remind you, that you are carriers of the Word of God, which gives you knowledge, plans, goals and ways to reach these goals. Don't try to utilize your strength in passing through these trials and storms. Pray to the Lord, reflect on what He told you and promised you, proclaim His Word on your life. Don't try to complain and blame the Lord, asking: why did i end up in this situation?... He has a plan for your life! When you reach the other shore - you will be come much stronger, more experienced and wiser in the Lord. Your trust in the Lord will grow, and with personal experience and testimony of your life, you will be able to minister to the people in need on the "other side",  where He will bring you without fail.

At the end of this message, a text from Jeremiah 29:11-12, 33:3:

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."