Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Oct 22nd, 2011 The Haven Of Rest – The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl

Today’s Passages – Mark 12 – 13; Proverbs 22

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 106 – 110; Memorize – Daniel 12:3)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121

Good morning! Sorry I’m late, but… (fill in your own excuse). Mine started when I punched into work around 6pm on Thursday night. I felt better though when I punched out around 5pm on Friday night. The only reason I’m here doing the blog is that the Lord gave me the stamina to endure, and got me home from the Vineland store okay (I started at the Absecon store, then Sicklerville, before going to the Vineland store. What a day! (and night)). Anyway, that’s not your problem. You have your own problems that are unique to you. Take a look at Psalm 107, and verses 23 thru 30…

“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.”

Things happen in our lives. Did you ever see a piece of driftwood that was washed up on the beach? It is well worn. The bark has fallen off, and the wood is smooth and well rounded. That piece of driftwood started as a tree. God only knows where it came from: where it broke off and fell into a stream. That stream became river, and God watched as that river carried that piece of wood to the ocean. He saw the branch tossed about by waves that could reach as high as a three to four story building. As the wood nears the shore, it is taken and smashed on the beach, pulled out again, and smashed again: pounded by the waves over and over again. That is what you found on the beach in that piece of driftwood.

They that go down to the sea in ships can be tossed about by the waves. But God is always watching, and they cry out to Him. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.

This world tosses us around like the waves sometimes. But God sees this, and calms the storms in our lives. He delivers us to a safe haven…

The tempest may sweep

o’er the wild stormy deep,

In Jesus I’m safe ever more.

Peace. (Mark 4:39)