Daily Devotional from Pastor Mary 6-28-21

Psalm 88:9 NLT“My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O LORD; I lift my hands to you for mercy.”

When you are faced with a storm in your life what do you do? As your “eyes are blinded by tears”, amid the storm, where are you? While the storm surrounds you are you “lifting your hands to the Lord” in prayer and trusting in His “mercy”? Here is a simple question, do you face a storm like cattle (cows/bulls) or like buffalo? Before you think I’ve completely lost my mind, a herd of cattle respond completely different than a herd of buffalo to a severe storm. When a herd of cattle see a storm coming, after lying down, they turn and move/run in the opposite direction; and when a herd of buffalo see a storm coming, they wait for the storm to be overhead, and then they charge into the storm. The cattle unfortunately are not fast and never outrun the storm. In fact, they get caught up in the storm and many times end up running with it. Both herds inevitably face the storm, only the cattle face it longer and with exhaustion, while the buffalo minimize the storm’s impact by breaking through it, with more energy, and into the LIGHT of the sun (SON) which is visible when on the other side of the storm.

Jesus never promised us that we wouldn’t face storms on our earthly journeys; in fact, as we learned during last week’s time of worship, and from the Gospel of Mark (4:35-41), Jesus calls us to have faith in Him during life’s storms.

So, what happens when the storm feels too big, as felt from the Psalmist of 88, and fear begins to rise, and you question if the Light is too far away? It is the time to get with other believers and pray, and to stay rooted in the Word of God. Come to Tuesday Morning Prayer at 7:00 a.m., come to Wednesday Night L.I.F.E. Lessons at 7:00 p.m. and ask for prayer, come early or stay late Sunday during 9:45 a.m. Worship and ask any of the Team to pray with you, and/or call (727-230-9723) for prayer and discussion about the Word of God. If you are tempted to stay away, it’s not Jesus “tempting” you. Jesus calls us to His Body and to His Word. It is always important to listen to that call, but it is imperative to listen more closely during the storms of life, because the enemy wants to use the circumstances and noises of the storm as a distraction from the only ONE who can calm the storm, JESUS!

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for allowing me the privilege of being just one part of Your Body. As I find myself in a storm, I praise You for allowing me to witness Your mercy, love, and compassion through Your Word, while in prayer, and through my Brothers and Sisters in Your Body. Help me to remember these moments and actions, so that I may be a blessing to others during their storms. Thank You for holding me in this place as I trust that You are using it for good. In Your Name, Jesus. Amen.

Written By: Jen Auer, Pastor Mary Haley’s Assistant

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