Read Exodus 14; Mark 4:35-41

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NRSV).

Well, for those of us who live along the Northeastern Seaboard of the United States, We can say that Hurricane Sandy arrived with a vengeance. And what a monster of a Storm. It’s around 10 PM on Monday, October 29, and I am writing this in the dark on my iPhone. There’s nothing quite like sitting a house with no power, faced with the sound of perilous wind howling like the hounds of hell outside and the uncertainty of what each moment might bring.

It is understandable how each and everyone of us can get caught in fear of the storms that interfere with our lives and threaten us. It is in moments like this, that I can relate with the disciples who feared for their lives as they were caught in a terrible storm while on the Sea of Galilee. It was not the storm that scared them as much as the thought of being in the storm alone.

The same is true for the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt. It is understandable how fearful they must have been when they were facing the depths of the sea, caught between a watery grave and Pharaoh’s legion fast approaching them. It is understandable how fearful people are when storms, literal or metaphorical, come crashing in with little to know warning.

Yet, Jesus tells us, just as he told the winds and the waves, “Peace! Be Still!” Jesus assures us that no matter how afraid we might be, we are not alone. God is with us and will never forsake us. Even when our lives are threatened, even when we pass from this life to eternity, God is always with us!

And that is reassuring. As I sit here in the dark, I can certainly imagine how much more terrifying it would be if I were here alone. I can hear the voices of my children playing and laughing as if Frankenstorm weren’t out side at all. This is because they are assured, just as I am assured, they are not alone! As a result of that assurance, they have nothing to fear. And that is the common theme through out all of Scripture…”Fear not, for I am with you! I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Peace! Be still, my child,” says the LORD, “for I AM with you always, even until the end of the age!”

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
No one is an island. When God created people, God created community.”

PRAYER
Lord, thank you for always being with me and for creatig me to be present in the lives of others. Amen.