Dear Waldwick UMC Families and Friends,

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
I am sending Bible Verse with Meditation, and Prayer for you today.
I hope and pray that you can have a strong faith, hope, and peace in your heart even in the situation of uncertainty and difficulties.
Have a Blessed day and Stay healthy!!

Grace and Peace,
Your Pastor, Eun Ok
Choose Faith
over Fear
“What sort of man is this, that
even winds and sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:27
Think about the disciples hanging out with Jesus on a boat when a life-threatening storm erupts on the water. They’re unprepared to face it and, panicking, realize they might die. The entire time this is happening, Jesus is sleeping peacefully.
Instead of looking at Jesus’ reaction to their situation, the disciples allowed their situation to dictate their reactions.
After begging Jesus to do something, He calms the storm… But not before asking them, “Why are you afraid?”
His gentle rebuke over their lack of faith wasn’t because they didn’t believe Jesus could save them from the storm, but because they struggled to believe He would see them through it.
When we find ourselves in storms we can’t control, how do we respond with faith?

Here are three encouraging truths to remember:

1. God has power over every storm.
If the wind and waves don’t concern Him, then they shouldn’t frighten you. You might not be able to change your situation, but you can choose to faithfully trust God in the middle of it.

2. Fixing your eyes on Jesus leads to peace.
Are you looking at the size of the storm, or turning towards the One who can calm it?
It’s only by focusing on God, who knows every outcome, that you can navigate any
situation with His wisdom and peace.

3. Jesus is always in your boat.
It’s easy to focus on your fears when you can’t control your future. But thankfully, Jesus knows everything, and He’s always with you. And, He calls you to live by faith, not by sight.

Whenever you find yourself overwhelmed by life, you always have two choices: you can focus on your circumstances, or fix your eyes on Jesus.
If you choose to look to Jesus above everything else, you will begin to see that the
storms you face are not nearly as powerful as the Savior choosing to walk through the storm alongside you.

Let us pray.
Gracious God, thank you for being with us wherever we are, even in midst of the storm.  
Lord, when storm comes in our lives, we are fear and afraid.. and sometimes we don’t know how to deal with that.. so we give up, discouraged, and despair. However, now we assure that when we are in deep darkness in our lives, you carry us, help us, and pray for us. 
O Lord, let us have a strong faith in you, and don’t forget you are always with us no matter what.  Please help us to walk with you always and give us your peace and courage to overcome the fear in us.  In the name of Jesus our Lord, we pray. Amen!!