I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Calm in the Storm
One of the most well-known stories in Jesus' life is the calming of the storm (Matthew 8:23–27, Mark 4:35–41, and Luke 8:22–25).
Think about the disciples hanging out on a boat with Jesus when a life-threatening storm erupts on the water. They’re unprepared to face it. Panicking, they realize they might die. The entire time this is happening, Jesus is sleeping peacefully.
Instead of looking at Jesus’ reaction to their situation, the disciples allowed their situation to dictate their reactions.
After begging Jesus to do something, He calms the storm … but not before asking them, “Why are you afraid?”
His gentle rebuke wasn’t because they didn’t believe Jesus could save them from the storm, but because they struggled to believe He would see them through it.
They knew Jesus was in their boat, they just didn’t understand what He was fully capable of doing.
Jesus was their strength through the storm and over the storm.
Jesus was their provider, protector, healer, and leader.
Jesus was their source of peace and power.
And the same God who was with the disciples in the boat is with us. No matter what your current storm looks like—Jesus is near. There is not a situation you have gone through that Jesus hasn’t endured beside you.
Jesus was, and is, and is to come. He was there at the beginning of time, and He will be there at the end of it. He has seen every event in human history, and He has not forsaken anyone who cries out for Him and trusts in Him.
Nothing is impossible for God, and His character never changes. He is for you, and not against you—that’s why you have nothing to fear. And that is why today, you can make Isaiah 41:13 your own personal promise:
“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Luke 11
“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity...
Remember What God Has Done
Remembering what God has done is an important part of Jewish worship...
After God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, He instructed the people to remember His words. He told them to diligently teach His commands, and to talk about them in their houses, when they walked, when they were lying down, and when they got up in the morning (Deuteronomy 6:7).
The Israelites were told to constantly remember what God had done, who God was, and what He had said.
And so, in Psalm 85:2, the Psalmist engages in an act of remembrance by reflecting on God’s forgiveness:
“You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.” (ESV)
The Israelites had sinned against God many times, and many times over God forgave them. The author of Psalm 85 didn’t want Israel to forget God’s great kindness, so he crafted a Psalm that would remind anyone who repeated it of God’s mercy, forgiveness, power, and love.
The Psalmist appeared to know that purposefully remembering what...
