A couple of days ago, as I read my morning’s Gospel portion in Mark ch. 4, reading in particular Mark 4:35-41 I was reminded of the very precious truth, personal to every Spirit-born believer in Yeshua:
Truly, Lord Yeshua does not want those who are His to be fearful about anything in this present world – because He is with us.
The words which struck me most as I read are underlined below for emphasis in the passage of Mark 4:35-41 which says this:
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
How comforted anew I was by the refreshing of what I know to be true: that as we follow Lord Yeshua, putting our trust and hope in Him, in obedience to God our heavenly Father, we – I – need fear nothing at all in this world (except sin, as it has been said by a bible teacher of a previous century!). Yes, we are to fear God, but this speaks of a deep reverence and a depth of awe to the degree of trembling (note e.g. Philippians 2:12) , ever knowing that we can but fall before a true sight at His majestic splendour and glory, awesome power and great holiness in these frail bodies of ours. Consider just one example of this truth in the testimony of the Apostle John as recorded at The Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter 1:17-18: ‘And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” ’
Consider again the words, ‘[b]ut He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid;”’ He, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah will also give us who have believed upon and trusted in Him His right-hand of peace, comfort and assurance.
Yes. This is Yeshua our Lord who died and shed His sinless righteous blood for our sins when He offered His righteous soul for us as the Sin-Offering on the Roman cross, becoming the atoning sacrifice of God for us, in His death, burial and resurrection on the third day, as prophesied in the Scriptures, who also ascended back to Heaven, who is seated at the right-hand of the Most High, who is with us, His children, by the Spirit of God, faithfully fulfilling His promises to always be with us. Such promises of Yeshua the Messiah which came readily to mind just then were these underlined below:
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”… ‘Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” John 14:18 & 23
‘For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6
And there are many many more such promises of God made ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’ in and through Lord Yeshua, Son of the living God, Messiah!
How thankful I was to the heavenly Father for this reminder of the faithfulness of Lord Yeshua that morning! May we grow and increase in the grace and knowledge of the one true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and may we not be afraid now and in the times to come.
Lord Yeshua is still Immanuel! Lord Yeshua is still God with us! Therefore, as it is written at 1 Corinthians 16:13 may we in these last and dark days: ‘Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that [we] do be done with love’ to the praise and glory of God.
Shalom.
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