Ramesh C. Reddy
Managing Editor
Hi everyone :)
May you know that you are loved and watched over amidst the storms of life! Amen!
Announcements:
Thursday night, Aug 29,02, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship will be having their Mark
Manuscript Small Group Bible study introductory meeting at 8:30 p.m in New Hope
Christian Community.
New Hope Christian Community is located on North Dithridge Street right opposite
to Webster Hall and St. Paul's Cathedral church on Fifth Ave and will be having
a POT LUCK LUNCH after church this Sunday, Sept 01, 02. The worship service
starts at 11:00 a.m.
Quiet Times (Psalm 89, Proverbs 29, and Mark 4)
“You rule the oceans when their waves arise in fearful storms; you speak, and they lie still.” (Psalm 89:9)
“The heavens are yours, the world, everything—for you created them all. You created north and south! Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon rejoice to be signed by your name as their maker!” (Psalm 89:11-12)
“As evening fell, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took him just as he was and started out, leaving the crowds behind (though other boats followed).” (Mark 4:35-36)
“But soon a terrible storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water and about to sink. Jesus was asleep at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they wakened him, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to drown?” (Mark 4:37-38)
“Then he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet down!” And the wind fell, and there was great calm! And he asked them, “Why were you so fearful? Don’t you even yet have confidence in me?” And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, “Who is this man, that even the winds and seas obey him?”
I found it very interesting that the disciples “took Jesus just as he was and started out”. Jesus wanted them to cross to the other side and they were willing to do it. They were obedient to His calling.
Anything that is mentioned in the Bible has some significance and I wondered to myself, “Why is it mentioned that Jesus was taken with them just as he was?”
Then it occurred to me that He must have been really, really tired. In His humanity, Jesus faced the things we have and yet was without sin. His body needed rest and that is evidenced by the verse, “Jesus was asleep at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.”
It becomes that much more significance when I realized that Jesus was fast asleep as four things were happening:
None of these events woke Jesus up but an event did wake Jesus up. It had nothing to do with nature but with voices. Jesus is in control of nature and He did not allow what was happening to hinder Him from His sleep except the frantic voices He heard.
His disciples were obedient in crossing to the other side as Jesus wanted them to but in their obedience they also faced trials and tribulations that were getting them frightened and down, making them doubt the Lord’s care for them.
This is evidenced by the storm they were facing which made them frantically wake Jesus up and ask Him, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to drown?”
I found it interesting how Jesus responds to their frantic voices waking Him up. He addresses their problem and fear first which is evidenced by “Then he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Quiet down!” And the wind fell, and there was great calm!”
Then he addressed their doubts by asking, “Why were you so fearful? Don’t you even yet have confidence in me?”
I saw important implications for my own life here. There have been many times I have done things believing I was doing them in obedience to the Lord. As I was obedient in that particular area, I would be hit with trials and tribulations in that area.
When Jesus asks me to do something, He is aware of the situations at hand. In my limited mind set I am not aware of everything that could come out of my obedience which includes possible trials and tribulations.
I was obedient to the Lord in many situations and did face a lot of trials and tribulations. In those trials and tribulations, rather than having confidence in the Lord, I started to doubt and even wondered if the Lord really cared for me in the situation I was in.
It was especially hard for me because I was so confident that this particular area in ministry is something the Lord wanted me to do so in obedience I kept doing it. It dealt with shepherding and leading the EXEC TEAM of Pitt’s InterVarsity leaders through the years. By God’s grace, I was able to work with 4 EXECS already (Two with Kent Walley, who is now a Pastor and two by myself).
After the 2 EXECS, I worked with by myself, I felt the Lord wanted me to do that for 3 more years while I was doing ministry on campus. I was so sure that is what the Lord wanted me to do. Then circumstances started happening around me that I was asked to give up my role in that position.
That really hurt me and made me doubt the Lord whether He even cared. I thought to myself, “If He cared, why not let me finish what I felt He wanted me to do 3 more years”
Anyway it did not happen and the storms were heavy around me. The waves of life were hitting me head on and it filled my mind with so many doubts to the point that I felt figuratively paralyzed. Soon my mind was filled with so much apprehension and gloom that my faith was starting to sink literally.
All I worked for, I felt was going down the drain. I would not have ever put myself in that position if I did not strongly believe the Lord wanted me to do that. My philosophy has always been why start something if you cannot finish it to the end.
As I started to sink in my faith and frantically search for answers with the Lord especially with the question, “Why Lord is this happening when I believed you were the One to put me here?”
The Lord intervened to help me by reminding me of the good times I did have with previous EXECS as I was obedient to Him. I had taken tons of pictures of taking previous EXECS to camp and while returning from Michigan in August 2000, I lost all those pictures that I had pulled from the album and put in a box. They were visible memories I had working with previous EXECS before 2000 and I had lost them.
Could this have been a sign or foreshadowing that I would lose working with future EXECS? As I look back it seemed like that!
It was painful for me and the Lord knew that. He could have had those pictures sent to me right away sometime in August after they were lost even though there was not an address on the box that I can recall. With the Lord all things are possible but at that moment this did not happen because the Lord knew what He was doing.
Do you know when I did receive those pictures back?
It was on Good Friday, April 2001, 3 days after I was officially relieved of my position in shepherding future EXECS.
Was the Lord telling me something? Of course He was and He was trying to make it simple and clear to me! Jesus was letting me know that with Him all things are possible! After 9 months, I received a package in the mail with all of the pictures in it. Interestingly, a Reverend from Detroit had sent them and they arrived on Good Friday! When I thought they were lost, they were found.
It was really significant to receive it that particular day because I knew Jesus was telling me that He loved me, cared for me, died for my sins to save me, and was looking after me even in this storm I was facing though I was still badly hurt. As, I look back He really was looking after me!
When I looked back at all those pictures, I felt like the Lord was telling me, “Look at all the things you did accomplish for me while working with those EXECS. They are wonderful memories to keep in mind and they are here because you have been obedient to me.”
You would think that would be enough to convince me that it is ok and it is time to move on but in my pain I could not. Finally, the Lord revealed Himself to me in a personal way through a dream I shared with you in the Daily Devotional Time: L.O.S.T
I felt like the disciples, being frantically frightened and shouting for Jesus’ help through my circumstances after being obedient. Mostly I could sense the Lord asking me, “Ramesh, why were you so fearful, even after all this time, don’t you yet have confidence in me?”
I was faced with that after the Lord worked in my life and quieted a lot of fears and brought calmness to my heart.
You know to this day I wish I could have still worked with different EXEC's but I have not been able to due to different circumstances. There have still been times I have been sad because I really felt I could make a difference with the Lord’s help but circumstances did not allow it.
Many of the circumstances were circumstances in my own personal life and out of my control too. But, the awesome thing is the Lord intervened and has brought peace to my soul and has shown me how He has still used me for His glory on the campus w/o having a position as the EXEC staff.
Why do I share all this personal stuff with you? It is because I saw myself in fear and doubt as the disciples did and the Lord yet intervened. He could have been like, ‘I am not going to deal with him anymore after everything I have already done in His life.’ On the contrary, He reached out to me and still reaches out in some powerful ways to this day!
So, I ask you now dear friends, what are the storms in your life?
Dear friend, as I have shared even when we believe we are obedient to the Lord and follow His calling just as the disciples followed His calling to get to the other side, storms of life are not exempt. While they were going in the boat is when the storms came. After how the Lord already worked in their lives and those around them, they could have strongly believed in the Lord’s intervention and help but they were fearful and filled with doubt.
As storms happened to me, it may have happened to each of you too. I do not know but this I do know when the Lord calls us to something, it will not always be peachy but what we can be assured friend is that His love is reaching and He will be looking after us. Whatever storms you are facing right now, you do not have to face the storms on your own. You do not have to let it sink you and be hit by the waves of life in a negative way.
You can receive the help from the Lord. He does calm our fears and brings us peace. Every situation we are in may not be solved to our liking. If that were the case, I would still be doing EXEC but the Lord in His mercy will give us the strength and endurance to bear.
So no matter what storms you are facing, whether they are academic, relational, spiritual in nature, etc know that Jesus loves you so much. He knows your pain and your doubts. He will not abandon you as an orphan in the storm but will come to you as His Word promises in John 14. This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. The chapters starts out with, Jesus saying, “Let not your hearts be troubled, you are trusting God, now trust in me.”
It is trust we need especially in the storms of life for He is able to keep us from falling and He who began a good work in us will finish it to completion. Never give up but turn to the Lord in your storms and know that He will answer you. There are times the storm will totally disappear and other times through the storm, He will keep you strengthened and help you to move on. I have not given up on EXEC for I know my Redeemer will allow me to shepherd EXEC’s again if He chooses too. I also know He is One who can provide wonderfully.
The final point I learned is that my obedience to the Lord should not be on the condition that things will go well for me but my obedience should be so I can see the face of the Lord and one day He can say, “Well, done my good and faithful servant!”
May you rest in the Lord through the storms of your own life! Savior today offers rest mightily saving, by giving you the strength and peace through the storms of life. Amen!
There is a wonderful song by the Imperials called, “Praise the Lord.” It specifically has lyrics dealing with the storms of life.
Savior Today Offers Rest Mightily, Saving!/"What are the storms in your life?"
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for all that you teach me from your Word. Just as the disciples feared and doubted during the storm, we have our own doubts and fears during the storms of our life. We are sorry Lord that after all that you have done for us, when things don’t go well for us, we sometimes doubt your care for us. I know Lord that I have been so guilty of that. Even in my doubts thank you for showing me your abundant love and grace. I know Lord circumstances in my life made the storms hit me harder but I also know you love me and are watching over me no matter what happens. Help me not to base the extent of your love for me based on the good things that happen to me. If nothing else happens, let us know you love us remembering what you did for us at Calvary. You took the nails that pierced your hands and feet for me. This I have come to see. You also took the thorns and lashes to pay for my sins’ strife so that through the washing of your Blood, I can be cleansed of my sin in life. Thank you Jesus! Please give us the strength to bear through the pains and always know your love for us. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior. We turn our lives over to thee and to the usage of your plan. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
Love in Christ,
Ramesh