When Jesus sleeps through your storm

 

They were bailing for all they were worth, convinced that the next wave crashing over the boat would be the end. And as is so often the case, they waited until the very last moment to call on Me (Jesus). They thought prayer was a final resort, not a first instinct.

I had fallen asleep—not because I was indifferent, and not because I already knew the outcome of the voyage—but because the exhaustion of healing and encouraging hundreds of people over countless hours, caused a slumber so profound that it was difficult to rise. 

Shouting and shaking finally broke through that exhaustion. I woke with the disorientation of a man pulled from the depths of desperately needed rest. 

“What is it now? Can’t I have a moment of peace? This had better be important.” I groggily stood  up on deck and took in the scene—the wind clawing at the sails, the waves rising like cliffs, and My disciples, wild‑eyed and terrified.

"Quiet!!" I bellowed more to their unbelieving hearts than the storm. "After all you have seen, do you have no faith at all?"

Silence. Calm. A sudden, absolute quiet that settled over sea and soul alike.

I looked at them, these men I loved, now standing speechless in the stillness they had begged for. “Now let Me rest,” I said, turning back toward the hold. “Let your hearts learn from what you have just seen.”

Am I as human as I am divine? Yes. Does Scripture come to us as sometimes no more than an outline so that we can put ourselves and our experiences into the story? Read a Bible story and imagine yourself inside of it -- participating in it. Can the outcomes be insightful and revealing?

Step into the boat with them and decide. It is not in trying but in trusting.

Mark 4:35–41 (also Matthew 8:23–27 and Luke 8:22–25)

With love beyond measure,

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💜Author's Note: I would love to personally pray for you. If you have a request, you can share it with me here: https://t.ly/NEKiD

God absorbs my pain

 

Stop and Steep

Unlock the divine whispers that guide your soul and discover the intimate conversation awaiting you within the sacred pages of Scripture.

Our faith quenches a spiritual thirst through the Holy Spirit and intimate connection with God. Many struggle to understand this, but it begins with reading My Word. Not just reading, but highlighting your favorite verses, and not just highlighting, but soaking them in.

As you delve into your Bible, listen closely to My gentle voice speaking directly to your heart. Each verse becomes a conduit for My wisdom and love, drawing you into a deeper relationship and a greater experience of My character.

As soon as you come to a verse that captures your heart, don’t try to keep reading. Stop right there and jump into the verse like a tea bag into water. Steep by reading the verse slowly, just one word at a time or a few words at a time. Focus and listen, for God surely has something personal to say to you through his Word.

As you focus in this way, My Holy Spirit will inhabit the words and bring them to life. As you jump into Scripture like a tea bag into steaming water, you will realize your thirst for Me. Scripture isn't like reading a book; My words are alive and get inside you, changing the essence of Who you are. 

This method of reading My Word will satisfy that thirst and imprint Scripture within you for life.

Now, you’re not just reading your Bible; you are conversing personally with Me.

"Let's practice the art of Bible meditation. ... Let us open our Bibles, spread them out on a chair and meditate on the Word of God. It will open itself to us, and the Spirit of God will come and brood over it. ... Put away the questions and answers and the filling in of blank lines ... and in faith say, "Father, here I am. Begin to touch me!" ~A.W. Tozer

With love beyond measure,

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A Fresh Way to Hear a Familiar Word

At times Scripture can feel distant. Sometimes altering the perspective of a verse by changing the structure can bring new life. The Scripture itself is unalterable but we can view it in different ways (as through a different lens) to bring the passage into the now where I am already meeting you.

Some ways to do this are by turning verbs into the present tense …

Letting “He” become “You”…

Letting “us” become “me” or “we”…

It becomes less like reading a verse and more like hearing Me speak.

 

Below are some examples:

Isaiah 58:11

Original:

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Modified:

The Lord is guiding you always; he is satisfying your needs in a sun-scorched land and is strengthening your frame. You are like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

 

Psalm 33:22

Original:

May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Modified:

Your unfailing love is resting upon me, O Lord, as I am putting my hope in You.

Isaiah 30:19b

Original:

How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you

Modified:

How gracious You are as I am crying for help! You are hearing and You are answering me.

Try it with a verse you love. Read it slowly. Shift the tense. Make it personal. Let it become a present‑moment whisper instead of a distant promise.

A closing word:

I am walking with you today.

I am steadying your steps.

I am giving you rest and you are trusting Me.

I am holding you with a love that is never leaving.

With love beyond measure,

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