The Devotional - 142 - Reflections

Thought of the Day – 142 – Reflections

A young man sits in a prison cell for robbery; his first crime of thieving began at the age of five. Like it was yesterday he remembers it well; that nickel he took from his father’s nightstand. Disobedience to Commands like; Thy shall not steal and honor thy father and mother are the first steps of a deceitful mind. Romans 1:18-32.

 

Comments and Challenges

Several men who read these devotionals are qualified submarine sailors, retired mostly; but some are on active duty. It is a real blessing for me to compare our submerged experiences with practical applications of God’s marvelous grace. For the submariner there is no greater command then to hear the Captain order the Diving Officer to; “Take her down!” These men represent a standard of excellence of life under the waters of the world that most peoples never see or experience, yet this is not why I like to write about them; or even remember them.

 These men are friends and they are men of God, we have worshiped and prayed together to The God; the One True God. Imagine this: The tested depth of the submarine is far below a depth of five hundred feet; in tense moments the silence is eerie except for the buzz of fear that is racing through your heart. In the Nineteen Eighties a submarine from another country fired a torpedo at our sub while we were transiting the North Atlantic. We evaded the torpedo, but only by the grace of God.

In the aftermath as brothers in Christ we banded together and pray and this Psalm came to mind. “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side; let Israel say – if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us. Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.” Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD who made the heaven and earth; Psalm 124.

Mark 5:21-43

There is little joy in illness but there is much pain and much suffering; now I do not have to tell you this not doubt you know it as I do – firsthand experience. Also to lose someone you love before (what we consider the TIME) goes beyond words. How do you talk? What can be said? Silence in the midst of the storm and more silence after the moment of healing. When is the right time to speak?

The issue of a blood disease of any kind was one of those unmentionables in those days of the Ministry of Jesus and today it is no different, most blood diseases are dangerously contagious and critical to one’s longevity of life. So Mark records what he knows that under the cover of a crowded moment this middle aged woman has a plan; it is a good plan but she has failed to fully comprehend whose garment she is touching. Also there is Jairus whose daughter is near death.

There is a Psalm that fits this section of Mark’s gospel very well. I will look with you at the first five verses, but please… take the extra moments and read the whole Psalm written by King David - Psalm 103.

“Bless the LORD O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles’.