IN TOUCH DAILY DEVOTIONAL 25 JUNE 2024 BY DR. CHARLES STANLEY, TUESDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Resting Like Jesus
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Matthew 8:23-27
23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep.
25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”
26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.
27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
In Touch Daily Devotional 25 June 2024 MESSAGE:
During His time on earth, Jesus demonstrated how to have a healthy relationship with God. Everything our Savior did flowed from a life of restful dependence on His Father—even when resting seemed foolish and negligent to those around Him.
In today’s passage, the disciples were crossing the sea in a small boat during a violent storm, and Jesus was taking a nap. They may have wondered, Why is He sleeping at a time like this? Doesn’t He see our need?
It seems the disciples viewed Jesus’ resting as a sign of inattentiveness (Mark 4:38). But the truth is, God sometimes delays responding to our fears to better display His glory at work in our life. A moment later, Jesus commanded the waves and wind to be calm (Mark 4:39), and the disciples witnessed firsthand the power of God.
Jesus’ ability to surrender, even in the middle of a turbulent storm, reveals complete trust in His Father—something the disciples were also invited to experience. The invitation holds true for us as well: Why fear when the Creator of the universe is on our side? In times of hardship and testing, it’s easy to be consumed by the physical reality of our situation. But let’s not lose sight of the truth that God is with us. Always.
Bible in One Year: Psalms 76-78
Thought for Today: The Creator of the universe is always with us, so we have nothing to fear from any hardship life brings.
For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.