Bible Study Verse
Mark 4:37-41
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!" (NIV)
Thoughts
On Dec. 31 I awoke to headlines in USA Today projecting how the Fiscal Cliff would affect my life if the political leaders in the United States couldn't reach an agreement on how to handle the present financial situation.
I laid the paper aside and opened my Bible. As I read Mark 4, verses 37-41 jumped out at me.
Have you ever been fishing in a boat when conditions came up like mentioned in the verses above? I have . . .
It was January and I was fishing a power plant lake in south central Texas that had a great reputation for producing lots of bass.
I knew there was cold front supposed to come through that morning, but to not have much muscle behind it. Wrong-although there was no rain (or snow), the winds were gusting up to 30 mph.
My comfort zone was threatening to be swamped if I didn't do something quick. The first thing that came into my mind as the boat was bucking up and down on the churning lake was to secure everything; put all rods and equipment I could into the storage compartments of the boat. Anything else that couldn't be stowed was placed down on the floor.
Fortunately the boat ramp where we launched was on the north side of the lake. My fishing partner and I were trying our luck down at water intake on the south side of the lake when the front blew through. If we had the wind behind us, while trying to get back to the ramp, it was almost a certainty we would have swamped.
(Tom B)
Action Point
Fiscal cliffs or other cliffs that we face strike fear about what might happen. In my instance, my boat was my comfort zone.
Like Jesus' disciples, I cried out to the Lord for His help, then started using the wisdom the Holy Spirit gave me. I told my fishing buddy to hang on. I pointed the bow into the crashing waves, opened up the throttle to get us up on top of the waves as much as possible, and headed back to the launch ramp.
"Quiet! Be still!" is what the Lord was telling me. "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
It was one heck of a ride, but we made it back without any equipment or person missing or broken.
For some people, every day may be a new cliff. As we face cliffs in life, don't be afraid! Have faith in the Lord. Heed Jesus' admonishment. . . "Be quiet! Be still! Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Even the wind and waves obey Him! Our God knows what's happening on our cliffs. Back off the edge. Be quiet. Be still. Seek Him while He may be found . . .
Sportsmen's Tip of the Day
When the power station on a power plant lake kicks in the generators, bait fish start moving and so do the bass. Water current breaks will hold fish ready for a meal to get swept by. Look to the main lake points and laydowns. Bass hiding under a laydown will reposition on top and to one side of the tree. Crankbaits work very well during moving water. |
