Mark 4:39 “He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” Then the wind ceased and there was a dead calm”.
Our theme for this year remains “Be still and know that I am God” from Psalm 46:10a. When Reverend Obeng made this proclamation at church at the New Year’s Eve service, I wondered what it was all about. I asked myself, what should we be still from? I thought to myself that if we had to be still then it probably meant that our faith could be tried and we may face all kinds of tribulations and storms, but God wants us to remain steadfast in Him.
In Mark 4:39, Jesus used this phrase when there was a storm and His disciples woke Him up because they were terrified. It is interesting that at this time of the year the world has been hit by Coronavirus (COVID-19) and there seems to be some panic around us. God’s word indeed to us is to be still. We need to take the necessary precautions but also remember to fix our gaze on Christ and trust God that God will protect us through it all. We need to keep those who are affected in our prayers as well.
We also need to continue to be still when things are going well around us. It is easier to think that our strength, education and connections give us the success we enjoy. But let us remember that it is God who gives us life and the power to enjoy the fruit of our labor (see Ecclesiastes 5:19). Therefore let us be still in good and in challenging times.
It is my prayer that in this time of Lent God will reveal God’s self to us within the storms of life and that our faith will increase as we trust the unfailing love of Christ.
Reflection: What are you scared of? How do you plan to submit your fears to Christ?
Reading: Mark 4:35-41
Submitted by: Emmanuel Oppong
New Life International UMC
Image: faithandhealthconnection.org