Devotionals by Stuart and Jill Briscoe
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?” - Mark 4:38
Stress and pressure that come from the storms of life have an uncanny ability to keep us awake at night and sometimes even make us unable to function during the day. How can we rest while our “vessel” is being battered by a galeforce wind? Yet Jesus could sleep under such circumstances! When a storm arose while he was on board a boat, “Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion” (Mark 4:38). Jesus knew what it was to rest in the middle of the storm. He knew he was safe in his Father’s arms.
The pressure may not be removed, but God is able to give us such an attitude toward it that we are as content with the pressure as without it! Seem impossible? It’s not. This kind of rest is a release from mental and spiritual weariness, not a release from the work or labor of bearing the burden. We can handle the gale-force winds that assail us; we can let our little “boat” be rocked, and we can labor with intensity without wearing ourselves out. It is rest, not leisure! It is rest from self-consciousness, and it is rest from fear. Jesus asked his terrified disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?” (Mark 4:40). As Jesus rested in the Father during the storm, he expected his friends to rest in him. This is the best rest.
For Further Study: Mark 4:30-41
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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About Telling the Truth
Telling the Truth is an international broadcast and internet ministry that brings God's Word into the lives of people all over the world. Stuart and Jill Briscoe are the featured Bible teachers, encouraging and challenging listeners to study the Word of God and be drawn closer to Christ. Gifted with wisdom, discernment, and a bit of English humor, the Briscoe's bring God's Word to life. With distinctly different teaching styles, you'll be moved by the emotional appeal of Jill and the compelling logic of Stuart, as they boldly proclaim God's sovereignty, grace, and love.
About Stuart and Jill Briscoe
Jill Briscoe was born in England and found Christ when she was 18 years old. She never looked back. Upon graduating from Cambridge University, she began working as a teacher by day and had a vigorous street ministry to the youths of Liverpool by night.
She met Stuart at a youth conference and they married in 1958. In the 50 years since, Jill has become a highly sought-after Bible teacher and author who travels around the world ministering to under-resourced churches and speaking at international seminars and conferences. Since 2000, she and Stuart, who was formerly senior pastor of Elmbrook Church for 30 years, have had the joy of equipping and encouraging believers across the globe in their roles as ministers-at-large for Elmbrook.
Jill has authored more than 40 books including devotionals, study guides, poetry and children's books. Her vivid, relational teaching style touches the emotions and stirs the heart. She serves as Executive Editor of Just Between Us, a magazine of encouragement for ministry wives and women in leadership, and served on the board of World Relief and Christianity Today, Inc., for over 20 years.
Jill and Stuart call suburban Milwaukee, Wisconsin their home. When they are not traveling, they spend time with their three children, David, Judy and Peter, and thirteen grandchildren.
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