Laurie Hopkins

The disciples walked with Jesus.  

They saw Him perform miracles regularly.  

And yet, when the waves rose and the water raged, they, seasoned fisherman, panicked, even though Jesus was physically in the boat with them.  

They understood that He could heal the sick and feed the multitudes but they had not yet seen Him command the wind and the waves.  

They knew the ferociousness and unpredictability of the sea.  

But as of yet, they didn’t know the Jesus who could calm the sea with a word.  

We are often like the disciples.  

We trust Jesus in many areas of our lives, mostly the areas we have had experience with Him in.  

But when it comes to ferocious and raging issues, issues that we sometimes believe we understand better than Jesus because of our skillset, we, like the disciples cry out 

“Master, Master, we are perishing!” 

Faith is trusting Jesus with all parts of our lives, especially those parts of our lives that we haven’t seen Him command yet. 

Oh that we wouldn’t marvel as the disciples did, but trust that He will speak to the wind and the waters in our lives, every time.

Do you have areas of your life that you haven’t handed over to Jesus as of yet?

The woman with the Alabaster box came to unabashedly worship Jesus.  

Simon didn’t understand this woman or her worship and because of that he judged her.  

Simon hadn’t  even extend the common courtesies of the day to Jesus when He entered his home; water for his feet, a kiss and oil for his head and yet he stood in judgment of this woman and her worship.  

Jesus points out “to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”  

In our day and age, as Christians, there are times when we are not even extending common courtesies to Jesus in our own lives and yet we find ourselves in situations where we judge the worship of those around us.  

They are too much, they are worshiping too little, or they are worshiping in a way that is unfamiliar to us.  

Jesus points out clearly that those who recognize that they have been forgiven much are the ones most likely to love and therefore worship without reserve.  

The outward appearance of worship doesn’t tell the story of the heart in worship –

 only Jesus knows the reservedness of the worship we offer to Him. 

Let’s start focusing on ensuring our own worship is pure before God and stop looking at those around us.

What are some of your favorite ways to worship Jesus? 

John the Baptist spent his whole life preparing the way for Jesus to come.  

At all times in his preaching He pointed away from himself and toward the coming Messiah. 

He baptized Jesus and saw the dove descending upon Him.  

Several times in the Gospels he identified  Jesus as the Lamb of God.  

And yet, when John found himself in prison he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask Him if He was the “Coming One”.  

It doesn’t matter how clear we are on who Jesus is, there will often come a time in our lives, when the going gets tough, that we may question the Lord and who He is because we don’t understand what we are seeing.  

John found himself in this position.  

He knew that Jesus was the “Coming One” and yet when Jesus wasn’t doing the things that John expected him to do and when John found himself imprisoned, he asked the question.  

What I love about this passage is Jesus’ response.  

He didn’t berate John for asking.  

As a matter of fact, He goes on to tell the people that there was not a greater prophet born of women, than John.  

What Jesus does is refocus John.  

He tells the disciples to go and tell John what they have seen and heard, “that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them”. 

He doesn’t defend His practice and His plans, rather He reminds John about what John knows of the Messiah.  

Jesus will often do that in our lives as well.  

Instead of berating us for asking the question, Jesus will refocus us on what we know to be true about Him, rather than defending the path He is taking us on.  

Are you in a similar position to John today?  

Ask the question and allow Jesus to refocus you!  

He is a gracious God.

Are you able to be honest with God when you have questions?  What has your experience been in taking things to God when you don’t understand the process?