Putting Your Life in His Hands – Today’s Family Devotion

Putting Your Life in His Hands

Bible Reading: Mark 4:35-41

Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me? Mark 4:40

The afternoon sun dipped behind the rolling hills as a small boat carrying Jesus and his disciples set out across the Sea of Galilee. After a day of teaching, the Master was dog-tired. So he found a quiet spot in the boat and was soon asleep.

The gentle breeze that had launched their boat quickly grew to a stiff wind that filled the sails and rippled the surface of the water with whitecaps. Within minutes fierce downdrafts howled and huge waves crashed against the side of the boat. The disciples frantically tied down the sail while the boat tipped and rolled over the waves. Water sloshed in by the gallons. But Jesus slept on undisturbed.

The disciples shook Jesus awake and screamed over the roaring wind and crash­ing waves, “We’re going under! Don’t you care?” The Master rose and shouted back at the wind, “Be quiet,” and to the sea, “Be still.” Almost immediately the gale dwin­dled to a whisper and the vicious waves subsided to a great calm.

“What were you so worried about?” Jesus asked as the trembling disciples stared out over the suddenly tranquil lake. “Haven’t you learned to trust your lives to God in such a simple thing as a storm?” The disciples hadn’t trusted God. They were too worried about dying.

Take a vote. Do you enjoy any of these activities?

• Slamming your fingers in a car door

• Falling over the lip of a cliff

• Licking a frozen metal light post

• Stumbling to the pavement and scraping off a layer of skin

Chances are you don’t do any of them for fun. In case you hadn’t noticed, you possess a drive to avoid pain and to stay well. And—like the disciples—you try to avoid flipping out of a boat in the middle of a stormy lake. Your desire to survive tells you to wear a life jacket, put on a bike helmet, and steer clear of expired milk.

You can do all sorts of wise things to keep from getting hurt. But sooner or later in life you will face a situation where all you can do is trust God.

But there’s good news. Nothing can ever happen to you that will surprise God. He knows the good and bad things that will happen to you and even how long your life will last (see Psalm 139:16). And as you learn to trust Jesus, you can ride out even the most terrifying storms. He holds you in his hands!

TALK: How does it comfort you to know that you are in God’s hands?

PRAY: Father, we trust you to take care of us.

ACT: Remind a friend or family member today that God watches over us.