“Jesus is ALWAYS present - in the sunshine and the storm.”

By Misty Strieff Prine

“Jesus slept on the boat to show us His silence does not mean His absence.” – Unknown.

The other night, this was my nightly devotional on “The Upward Way” page on Facebook and Instagram. If you are not on there, I’d love for you to take the time to look for it. I write nightly devotionals like this to encourage others where I only write once a week in the newspaper.

I pour my heart and soul into what I write because I use what I am going through personally as I feel that is what the Lord has lead me to do or off of something I have experienced through someone that day that may help others. Simply, sometimes He just lays something on my heart that HE knows someone needs to hear. I felt this was too important not to share as many of you may not be on social media to read this and I wanted to share on this platform in the newspaper. I hope it reaches who He intends for it to. This ministry has been going on for THIRTEEN years now and God has blessed me through using this as a ministry to reach others for Him. Please tell others about it.

Here it is:

This is one of the most “peace-giving” passages in God’s Word to me that is so relatable to today’s times. So often people think Jesus is not moving or not doing what “they” think He should be when storms arise in their lives. In this passage, He’s asleep. They approached Him with a confrontational tone as if some today would say, “Lord, why are You letting this happen to me?? Are you just going to sit back and let it continue?” When God’s people realized He was the ONLY WAY, and surrendered to Him, He got up, rebuked (reprimanded) the wind and told the seas to be still. That same Jesus who the wind and the seas obeyed can calm the storm in your life. That Is why this is one of my go- to passages when I need reminding of Who is in control when life seems anything but.

This is from the parable of when the “Winds and Waves Obey Jesus and is taken from Mark 4:35-39 which says, “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.”

**For daily devotionals, you can follow me on Facebook at The Upward Way or on Instagram at the_upward_way.