Sometimes it truly takes a while for us to fully grasp the true extent of the Bible’s interconnectedness. It is astounding. Y’shua’s comment to the religious leaders in the Gospels on what many of us refer to as Palm Sunday (see Luke 19:40) and how He calmed the storm in Mark 4:39 are connected. Many of us don’t see that deeper connection between the two, less so, the connection to Today’s Holy Nougat.
Psalms 46:10 NIV
[10] He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Creation Praise
Psalm 46, which demonstrates God’s majesty and might, also assures us of God’s protection in every situation we face. For the psalmist, God’s power is over all creation, signified by the phrase in the earth. I can only imagine how this would be comfort for persons facing natural disasters.
In the aftermath of a disaster, it is not always easy to see God in nature or to appreciate God’s power over typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Yet once again, the psalm offers the assurance that in God’s sovereignty, it is well.
Self-Check
How readily do we recognize God’s power over nature after disaster has stricken?
Digging Deeper
It is worthwhile to note that the psalmist sustains the imagery of God as omnipotent in our Nougat. Hence it is God who calls the individual and the nations to be at peace. What was unexpected then, was the realisation that this peace was also directed at nature.
Yet, when the disciples were caught in the terrifying storm, we hear Psalm 46:10 echoing in Y’shua’s command. Was He only rebuking the storm? If yes, Psalm 46 said God would be exalted in the earth. Their obedience was acknowledgement of Y’shua’s authority.
Was He also rebuking the disciples as many experts have said? That is also mentioned in the Nougat. It is no wonder that the disciples marvelled to themselves ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him?’ in Mark 4:41. They were clearly astounded by Y’shua’s use of these words from Psalm 46. They had to have recognized that He was truly God and wholly human.
True, He didn’t add and know that IAM God. He didn’t need to. The storm’s immediate obedience spoke for itself. Only God had the power to command nature with immediate acquiescence. That’s one way that the earth exalted God. Y’shua explained to the religious elite that the rocks would exalt Him if the people refused to do so (see Luke 19:37-40). Thus, He did not rebuke the people for acknowledging that Him as God.
Siblings, Y’shua was not showy about God’s authority that was His. His actions and lifestyle spoke on His behalf. Amid the fright of the storm, the disciples had to determine for themselves who they knew Jesus to be.
That first Palm Sunday, the word on the street was ‘Save us Lord!’ I believe that deep in their hearts, the people knew Y’shua as Lord. Less than a week later, in the middle of their communal storm, they failed to be still. Was it because He was not a showy God, and didn’t fit into their mould?
This challenges us to know God for ourselves, even when God doesn’t fit our moulds. We must be consistent, exalting God in the nations, and praising God alongside creation amid life’s storms.
Point to Ponder
Can we see Y’shua’s Lordship when in the middle of our storms? Are we open to be still and acknowledge God’s Godness at all times? Selah
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May all we seek be found in Christ
