Key Thought

Today's Prayer

My God, Almighty Lord, please act with your strong power to still the storm in the hearts of those I love. Give them peace and calm and lead them to know that Jesus is not only their source of help, but that he is so much more than a mere mortal man. In the name of Jesus my Lord I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus saw that all the people were around him. So Jesus told his followers to go to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, I will follow you any place you go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes to live in. The birds have nests to live in. But the Son of Man has no place where he can rest his head." Another man, one of Jesus' followers, said to Jesus, "Lord, let me go and bury my father first. {Then I will follow you.}" But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the people that are dead bury their own dead." Jesus got into a boat and his followers went with him. After the boat left the shore, a very bad storm began on the lake. The waves covered the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The followers went to Jesus and woke him. They said, "Lord, save us! We will drown!" Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid? You don't have enough faith." Then Jesus stood and gave a command to the wind and the waves. The wind stopped, and the lake became very calm. The men were amazed. They said, "What kind of man is this? Even the wind and the water obey him!" Jesus arrived at the other side of the lake in the country of the Gadarene people. There, two men came to Jesus. They had demons inside them. These men lived in the burial caves. They were very dangerous. So people could not use the road by those caves. The two men came to Jesus and shouted, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to punish us before the right time?" Near that place there was a large herd of pigs feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you make us leave these men, please send us into that herd of pigs." Jesus said to them, "Go!" So the demons left those men and went into the pigs. Then the whole herd of pigs ran down the hill and into the lake. All the pigs drowned in the water. The men that had the work of caring for the pigs ran away. They went into town and told the people what happened. They told about all that happened with the pigs and with themen that had demons. Then the whole town went out to see Jesus. When the people saw Jesus, they begged him to leave their area.

Related Scripture Readings

Jesus said, "Come, Peter." Then Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But while Peter was walking on the water, he saw the wind and the waves. Peter became afraid and began sinking down into the water. Peter shouted, "Lord, save me!" Then Jesus caught Peter with his hand. Jesus said, "Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?" After Peter and Jesus were in the boat, the wind became calm. Then those followers in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Arm (power) of the Lord, wake up! Wake up! Be strong! Use your strength like you did a long time ago, like you have from ancient times. You are the power that defeated Rahab. You defeated the Dragon.

Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not death, not life, not angels or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from God's love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.