Mark Reading Plan – W4D5
Week 4 | Day 5 | Mark 4:35-41
Check out all the previous readings here.
Pray
Pause and breathe for a minute. Then ask God to open your eyes and your ears to his Word.
Bible Reading (read these verses three times slowly)
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.There were also other boats with him. 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!”
Reflection & Questions
This is a story that must have been fun to tell…AFTERWARDS. But in the moment, the disciples (who are experienced fishermen) are fearing for their lives. And what’s Jesus doing? Sleeping! “Don’t you care?”, they ask. How often do we say the same thing when the going gets tough! If God cares and really is powerful, surely he’d do something!
What happens next must have been remarkable to witness. Just three words from Jesus’ mouth and a storm turns into perfect stillness. Then on that boat, gently bobbing in the water, Jesus asks about their faith: “Why are you so afraid?” Ironically, the disciples are “terrified” no longer at the storm, but at witnessing someone with such great power (5:41). That terror however would eventually turn to complete trust, and the disciples would endure many “storms” for Jesus because they knew He cared and He was all powerful. We can do the same!
- Is there a “storm” you’re walking through right now? Is there something about it that makes you question God’s care or his power?
- How do these verses encourage you to persevere?
Pray
Talk to God about the storm you’re walking through, asking him to help you keep your eyes on Him.
Worship Song
God is faithful, and worthy of all our faith. You could use this song to worship Him today:
Bible Reading
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.There were also other boats with him. 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!”
Reflection and Questions
This is a story that must have been fun to tell…AFTER the storm was done and they were all safe! But in the moment, the disciples were fearing for their lives. And what’s Jesus doing? Sleeping! “Don’t you care?”, the disciples asked Jesus. Have you ever said that to God? If God cares and really is powerful, why isn’t He helping me right now??
What happens next must have been CRAZY to witness. Just by speaking, Jesus made the storm turn into perfect stillness. Then on that boat, in the nice calm waters, Jesus asks the disciples about their faith: “Why are you so afraid?” Funny enough, the disciples aren’t “terrified” at the storm anymore, but at witnessing Jesus’ great power (5:41). That terror would eventually turn to complete trust, and the disciples would endure many “storms” for Jesus because they knew He cared and He was all powerful. We can do the same!
- Have you ever been in a ‘storm’ in your life? Not a weather storm, but a time in your life where things were just crazy and seemed awful? How did that time in your life make you feel?
- How does what we read today help us to remember to trust in Jesus when we are in a ‘storm’?
Prayer
Ask God to help us trust in Him when we go through storms in our lives.
Bible Reading
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.There were also other boats with him. 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!”
Devo Focus
Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? (Vs40)
Devo
This is a story that must have been fun to tell…AFTERWARDS. But in the moment, the disciples (who are experienced fishermen) are fearing for their lives. And what’s Jesus doing? Sleeping! “Don’t you care?” they ask. How often do we say the same thing when the going gets tough! If God cares and really is powerful, surely he’d do something! What happens next must have been remarkable to witness. Just three words from Jesus’ mouth and a storm turns into perfect stillness. Then on that boat, gently bobbing in the water, Jesus asks about their faith: “Why are you so afraid?” Ironically, the disciples are “terrified” no longer at the storm, but at witnessing someone with such great power (5:41). That terror however would eventually turn to complete trust, and the disciples would endure many “storms” for Jesus because they knew He cared and He was all powerful. We can do the same!
- Is there a “storm” you’re walking through right now? Is there something about it that makes you question God’s care or his power?
- How do these verses encourage you to persevere?
Prayer
Talk to God about the storm you’re walking through, asking him to help you keep your eyes on Him.
