Joy Creed

Scriptures: Gen.2:7; Psa.103:13-18; Matt.14:22-36; Mark 4:35-41

Greetings "Fan"-tastic Passengers,
 
Mankind is God’s prized possession in His vast Creation, who, in spite of their frail frame of dust, He proudly and miraculously, treasures them as, “more than conquerors,” through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ.  Consequently, “…God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom.5:8).  Astoundingly, God’s compassion for humanity, as they voyage earth, however, is two-fold.  Amazingly, His “pity” for humanity, involves having the deep awareness of their sufferings, as well as, having the desire to relieve them of their sufferings, therefore, causing them to experience His, “Miracle of Compassion.”
In Scripture the synonym compassion is often interchangeably used for the word “pity,” which denotes, one having the deep awareness of the suffering of another and the desire to relieve it.

Consequently, in Psalm 103:13 the psalmist compares God to a caring and compassionate father, who is deeply aware of the weaknesses of His children and is moved with compassion for them in their blustery circumstances of life, which ultimately excites His desire to show them mercy.  
Subsequently, as a compassionate Heavenly Father:

• The Lord Jesus Christ, as your Merciful and Faithful High Priest, who is heaven interceding at God’s right hand, on your behalf, is touched with the deep feelings of your infirmities. He hears your sighs and every groan and has suffered the pain in your stead (Rom.5:8; Heb.4:14-16)
• God, your Heavenly Father, is the Father of mercies. “It is because of His mercies that you are not consumed by your violent, thundery circumstances in life.  His compassions toward you never fail.  On the contrary, they are new every morning when you awake and His faithfulness is great” (Lam.3:22-23)
• God, your Heavenly Father, pitieth His children that are weak in knowledge, and instructs them.He pities them when they are sick, and comforts them.In addition, when they are fallen, He helps them to rise again.When they have offended, and upon their submission to Him, He forgives them.When they are wronged, He rights them. Therefore, the psalmist exclaims: "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him!"
   

The fact that you have become a born again believer in Christ, does not change the innate reality that, your feeble frame is made of “dust.”  Therefore, diverse and manifold are your weaknesses, which place you at the mercy seat of God, needing mercy and grace to help you in time of need (Heb.4:16).  Consequently, temptations will always assault you, lust will buffet you on every side, and secular business will distract you from the righteousness of God. Nonetheless, not one of these situations is beyond your Father's compassion and forgiveness.  Scripture says that the Lord:
The Word of God also tells us that, as our Creator, God will pity His children because He knows that:
“… our frame; that we are dust” (Psa.103:14)

By this the psalmist means that, according to Scripture in Genesis 2:7 “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” 

Scripture in the Gospel of Mark 4:35-41demonstrates how the disciples of Jesus learned the profound truth that, they don’t ever have to fear the stormy circumstances of life because; Jesus, the, “Master of the Storm,” is with them to show mercy, favour and bring victory in every situation (Gen.39:2, 21). In life, in order for you to, as it were, “pass over to the other side,” whether it be to grow in your faith, learning to trust God for a miracle etc., you will have to conquer great storms of boisterous winds and violent waves, which will beat into your ship, therefore, putting the ship in danger of sinking and your life in jeopardy of drowning.  While the disciples of Jesus encountered this wild situation on the ship, Jesus was right there with them, “…in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow…” Consequently, as His disciples, in fright of the storm, went to awake Him, they in their frail dust of fearful weakness, said to Him: “…Master carest thou not that we perish? They said this in ignorance of the truth that, Jesus is always with His children in every extraordinary, stormy vale of life, to show them mercy, favour and cause them to rise up as, “more than conquerors.”  Subsequently, in this situation, instead of shaming and exposing them, as a result of their human frailty, Jesus compassionately taught them, according to Scripture in Luke 10 how to have and exercise their supernatural, God-given authority over all the powers of the enemy, as He, the “Master of the Sea” did when He:
 
In another tempestuous instant in Scripture of Matthew 14:22-36 Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side.  Here in this example, Jesus in compassion taught His disciples not to fear the stormy circumstances of life, even if they don’t have His physical presence with them.  Instead, they were to be confident, knowing that His divine presence is with them and when they call on Him, during the stormy circumstances of life, in His faithfulness, He will come to them, walking on the water , even in their darkest hour, which is the fourth watch of the night.

Therefore, After Jesus had commanded the disciples to take the ship to the other side of the sea,
“…He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone (v.23).
It is crucial for believers in Christ to also know that in every stormy season of manifold temptations, which you will encounter in life, you are:

• ”… kept by the power of God unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5)
• Jesus knows your frail human weaknesses and pities you and, therefore, will keep you from falling in your faith, by His incessant intercessory prayer (Matt.14:22; Luke 22:32; Rom.8:34; 1Peter 1:5)

Subsequently, as the disciples of Jesus, voyaged to the other side, “the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.”

Even though the disciples had not too long in their recent past, encountered a storm, this other storm, was nonetheless, darker and bone-chilling.   What also made matters worse, was the fact that they were accustomed to always have Jesus’ physical presence with them.  However, during this storm, His physical presence was not with them in the ship.  Therefore, their fear of the storm tremendously surmounted.  Nevertheless, it is in this darkest moment of one’s life, the fourth watch of the night, that Jesus will come to you, walking on the sea.
As Jesus came walking towards them in the fourth watch of the night, they feared even more because, their frightened minds, told them that it was not Jesus who was coming to their rescue but a spirit or ghost. Sometimes in life, in the fourth watch of your night, things will appear in, “ghost-like figures,” as a certain opacity falls like a curtain over your entire surroundings. Notwithstanding, Jesus wants you to: “Be of good cheer; …be not afraid.”

He wants you to be bold and courageous, like Peter and to step out of your ship of fear, and walk on the raging water, as a “Storm Conqueror.”
Because “The Lord pitieth them that fear Him,” in Him, they will always: