Devotions

faithless fatherland

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 6:1-6

He left from there and came to his fatherland,[1] and his disciples followed him. ² On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “From where did this man get all these teachings? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What works of power are being done by his hands! ³ Is not this the builder, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense[2] at him. ⁴ Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not dishonoured, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” ⁵ And he could do no work of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.

faithless fatherland

So you say you’re “called” to stay in your hometown and minister to the people who have known you since childhood. That may be true. God certainly does call some to stay. But let’s be honest about how that often plays out. How’s that working out for you? Are you experiencing what Jesus Himself experienced—faithless fatherland syndrome? Because He did. The people who watched Him grow up, who knew His family, who heard the stories of His early years, recognized the wisdom in His teaching and the power in His miracles. They could not deny it. But it didn’t matter. Familiarity became their stumbling block. They were offended that someone so local could be used so greatly. They could accept life‑changing counsel from anyone except the hometown carpenter’s son.

And that’s the tension many hometown ministers feel. You may be called to stay, but staying is not easy. The people who know your past often struggle to receive your present. They remember your mistakes. They remember your immaturity. They remember your awkward teenage years. They remember the version of you that no longer exists. And sometimes, no matter how faithfully you serve, they simply cannot see beyond the old stories.

Now, I’ll admit something important. Most believers are not called to cross‑cultural ministry in distant lands. And I’ll also admit that changing your location does not magically change your character or grant you new spiritual power. That was certainly true for Jesus. His authority was absolute everywhere. His power was not limited by geography. He chose to respond to Nazareth’s unbelief with fewer displays of power, but He could have transformed the entire town against their will if He had desired. Their unbelief did not diminish His ability—only their experience of it.

And I cannot promise you that if you go overseas, you will suddenly have a powerful ministry. Geography does not guarantee fruitfulness. But that’s not the point. The point is that there is a whole world full of people who need the gospel. There are villages, towns, cities, and nations where people are longing for hope, where the soil is ready, where the harvest is waiting. And if your Nazareth refuses to listen—if your hometown cannot receive what God has placed in you—then perhaps it is time to consider the villages.

Jesus did. When Nazareth rejected Him, He did not stay and argue. He did not force His ministry on them. He did not let their unbelief define His calling. He simply moved on to the next towns, the next hearts, the next opportunities. And the gospel flourished there.

Sometimes obedience means staying. Sometimes obedience means going. But obedience never means clinging to a place simply because it is familiar. And it never means limiting your ministry to the expectations of people who cannot see what God is doing in you.

So if you feel the Spirit stirring you beyond your comfort zone—if you sense that your ministry zone lies somewhere outside the boundaries of your hometown—pay attention. The God who called you is the God who sends you. And He may be calling you to the villages.

LORD, speak to the heart of those You are calling outside their comfort zone, into their ministry zone. Teach us to hear Your voice above the voices of familiarity, and to follow wherever You lead.

[1] πατρις

[2] σκανδαλιζω

Posted in Jesus Christ, ministry, miracles, missions | Tagged Mark 6 | Leave a comment

miracles and ministry

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 5:40 – 43

⁴⁰ And they ridiculed him. But he threw them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and entered where the child was. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,”[1] which means, “Little girl, get up!” ⁴² And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years old). At this they were ecstatic.[2] ⁴³ He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

miracles and ministry

I’m struck with two thoughts about today’s reading as well, and both of them reveal something important about the way Jesus moves through a world full of noise, pain, and misunderstanding.

The first thing that stands out is the contrast in His tone. Jesus deals with the critical crowd in a way that feels almost abrupt—firm, unyielding, unwilling to entertain their cynicism. He puts them outside. He silences their laughter. He refuses to let their unbelief dominate the atmosphere. And yet, moments later, He turns toward the little girl and her grieving parents with a tenderness that feels almost whispered. He takes her by the hand. He speaks gently. He restores her quietly. The same Jesus who confronts the scoffers with strength comforts the broken with softness. Both attitudes are holy. Both are appropriate. Both reveal a Savior who knows exactly what each moment requires.

The second thing that strikes me is how carefully Jesus avoids letting the miracle become the message. If something like this happened in my family, I would want to tell everyone. I would want the world to know. I would want the miracle to be the headline. But Jesus resists that impulse. He tells them not to broadcast it. He refuses to let the extraordinary overshadow the essential. He knows that miracles can gather crowds, but only the gospel can save souls. He knows that signs can stir excitement, but only the message of the kingdom can transform a life. He knows that power can attract attention, but only truth can anchor faith.

And that is a needed reminder for us. Followers of Christ will experience manifestations of God’s power—answers to prayer, moments of healing, unexpected deliverance, divine intervention that leaves us speechless. But those moments, as beautiful as they are, must never eclipse the message. They are not the center. They are not the foundation. They are not the hope we proclaim. The gospel is the only message with eternal weight. The gospel is the only truth that rescues the soul. The gospel is the only proclamation that outlives every miracle.

The Holy Spirit’s ministry—healing, deliverance, guidance, empowerment—is real and precious. But it is never meant to replace the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen. Power accompanies the message, but it does not replace it. Power confirms the message, but it does not overshadow it. Power flows from the message, but it does not become the message.

There is power for ministry, yes. But the ministry of the excellent message must always come first and last. The gospel is the frame in which every miracle finds its meaning.

LORD, give us the courage to proclaim Your gospel, and the expectation that Your power will demonstrate its validity. Teach us to keep the message central, even as we rejoice in the works of Your mighty hand.

[1] טליתא קום

[2] εκστασις

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time to trust Jesus

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 5:35-39

³⁵ While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why still annoy the teacher?” ³⁶ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid, just trust me.” ³⁷ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. ³⁸ When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw an uproar, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ When he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you disturbed and weep? The child is not dead but sleeps.”

time to trust Jesus

Facing the untimely death or terminal illness of someone we love does something inside us that words can barely touch. It feels like something breaks deep within—a fracture of the heart, a wound that never fully closes. The pain is sharp, but the sense of betrayal can be even sharper. Life was not supposed to work this way. Love was not supposed to end like this. And even when time softens the edges, there is a part of us that never returns to what it was before.

In moments like these, the Word of God becomes more than a text. It becomes a lifeline. It becomes the voice that steadies us when everything else is shaking. And in Jairus’ story, we see the kind of lessons Jesus offers to those who are walking through the valley of shadows.

Jairus learned that when death draws near, Jesus speaks a different word than fear. While the mourners wailed and the news crushed his spirit, Jesus looked him in the eye and said, “Do not fear. Only believe.” That is not a denial of reality. It is an invitation to trust a deeper reality. It is Jesus saying, “Let My presence interpret what you see, not the other way around.”

Jairus also learned that death, as final as it feels, is not final to Jesus. He calls it sleep—not because it is gentle, but because it is temporary. Sleep is something you wake from. Sleep is something you rise out of. And Jesus is the One whose voice will one day awaken every sleeper, calling each one by name. What looks like the end to us is only an intermission to Him.

These are not easy truths. They do not erase the ache. They do not undo the loss. But they give us something solid to hold when the world feels like it is collapsing. They remind us that Jesus does not abandon us in the darkest rooms of our lives. He steps into them. He speaks into them. He brings a calm assurance that does not come from explanations, but from His presence.

So when we face the horrible realities of life—when grief feels unbearable and hope feels thin—we cling to the words Jesus spoke to Jairus. Words that still carry power. Words that still steady trembling hearts. Words that still whisper life into places that feel dead.

LORD, thank You for Your words of calm assurance that we can hold on to when we face the horrible realities of life. Teach us to trust Your voice more than our fear, and to rest in the promise that death is not the end.

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your suffering is over

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 5:29-34

²⁹ Just then her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ Instantly aware that power had gone out from him, Jesus turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” ³¹ But his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?'” ³² He looked all around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling,[1] fell down before him, and told him all of the truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has rescued you; go in peace, and be made healthy; your suffering is over.”

your suffering is over

People we know are longing—aching—to be free from their suffering. They move from specialist to specialist, hoping the next appointment will finally bring relief. They try every new medication, every new therapy, every new promise of improvement. And yet many remain stuck in the same cycle of frustration, pain, and disappointment. Their bodies betray them. Their hopes rise and fall. Their faith feels stretched thin by the daily evidence that healing has not yet come.

And here is the question that quietly slips into our minds: Are such people worth our time? Should we interrupt our busy schedules, pause our own concerns, and pray for them with intention and compassion? The answer, of course, is yes—absolutely yes. These suffering ones are the Lord’s sons and daughters. They are not burdens. They are not interruptions. They are beloved image‑bearers who are fighting to hold onto faith while their bodies and circumstances seem to argue against it.

Their faith is not weak. It is costly. It is the kind of faith that wakes up every morning in pain and still whispers, “Lord, help me.” It is the kind of faith that keeps reaching for Jesus even when the healing has not yet arrived. It is the kind of faith that refuses to let suffering have the final word. And that kind of faith—faith in Jesus alone—can make them whole again, whether in body, in spirit, or in both.

But they should not have to fight alone. We are called to stand with them, to lift them up, to carry them into the presence of Jesus through our prayers. We need to be assisting these suffering saints in our war rooms, interceding for them with the same urgency and tenderness that Jesus showed to the sick woman and to Jairus’ daughter. Prayer is not a last resort. It is participation in the healing work of God. It is an act of love. It is an act of solidarity. It is an act of hope.

So today, we bring them before the Lord—not because we have the power to heal them, but because we know the One who does. We bring them because they matter. We bring them because they are loved. We bring them because Jesus still responds to the cries of His people.

LORD, we are sending some suffering sons and daughters to You today. Restore them, to Your glory.

[1] τρεμω

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the right rescuer

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 5:21-28

²¹ When Jesus had crossed over [in the boat] again to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. ²² Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet ²³ and pleaded with him repeatedly, “My little daughter is in her last moments. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be rescued, and live.” ²⁴ So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. ²⁵ And there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. ²⁶ She had been put through much suffering under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but grew worse instead. ²⁷ She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his coat, ²⁸ for she said, “If I only touch his clothes, I will be rescued.”

the right rescuer

Both of these people—Jairus and the woman—came to Jesus with the same desperate longing: rescue. Jairus came pleading for his daughter’s life. The woman came pleading for her own. Their circumstances were different, but their need was the same. And both of them, in their moment of deepest fear, found themselves drawn to the only One who could do anything about it.

They were also both people society would have labeled as “rich.” Jairus was a synagogue ruler, a man of influence, a man whose name carried weight. The woman, at least at one point, had enough resources to spend everything she had on doctors and treatments. But her wealth evaporated in the pursuit of healing, and she was left with nothing but disappointment and decline. Jairus still had his status, but none of that mattered when his daughter was dying. Illness does not bow to influence. Death does not respect position. Suffering does not pause for the wealthy.

And that is the quiet truth beneath this story: when life collapses, every earthly advantage becomes powerless. Money cannot stop disease. Influence cannot shield us from grief. Reputation cannot rescue the people we love. In the end, both Jairus and the woman found themselves standing in the same place—empty‑handed, frightened, and in need of mercy.

I once stood beside a father who was facing the death of his young daughter. I remember the ache in his voice, the helplessness in his eyes, the way his whole body seemed to sag under the weight of sorrow. I longed to give him the rescue he needed. I longed to speak a word that would turn back the tide. But I couldn’t. None of us can. There are no guarantees in life, no promises that shield us from loss. But there is one thing we can always say with confidence: coming to Jesus is always the right choice. He may not always rescue in the way we imagine, but He never turns away those who come to Him. He never wastes a cry for help. He never ignores a trembling hand reaching out in faith.

Jairus came to Jesus, and Jesus walked with him. The woman came to Jesus, and Jesus stopped for her. Both found that the Savior is never too busy, never too distant, never too overwhelmed to meet the needs of those who seek Him. And that same Savior invites us to come—not with polished prayers or perfect faith, but with our fears, our griefs, our desperate hopes, and our trembling trust.

LORD, we need rescue, for ourselves and for our loved ones. Teach us to come to You with our fears, to trust You with our burdens, and to rest in the confidence that You are the One who hears, who cares, and who saves.

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and Jesus refused

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 5:14-20

¹⁴ The herdsmen ran off and told this to those in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. ¹⁵ They came to Jesus and saw the former demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the same man who had had the legion; and they were terrified. ¹⁶ Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the pigs reported it. ¹⁷ Then they began to plead with Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. ¹⁸ As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons pleaded with him that he might stay with him. ¹⁹ And Jesus refused, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has shown mercy to you.” ²⁰ And he went away and began to preach in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

and Jesus refused

If I were that man—freshly delivered, newly clothed in my right mind, still feeling the shock of freedom in my bones—I could have made a very compelling case for joining Jesus and the disciples. I could have argued that my testimony alone would be a powerful weapon against the forces of darkness. Who better to answer questions about spiritual warfare than someone who had lived under its tyranny? I could have reasoned that the villagers who once feared me now feared Jesus even more, and since I was now aligned with Jesus, they would surely fear me again. Why not leave all that behind and start over somewhere else, somewhere my past wouldn’t follow me like a shadow?

I could have pointed out that I had done real damage in my years of torment—damage to relationships, to property, to the peace of an entire region. People don’t forget that kind of history easily. It would have been far simpler to begin a new life in a new place, where no one knew the old stories and no one whispered when I walked by.

But Jesus refused. He did not entertain my arguments. He did not negotiate. He did not soften His answer. He simply said no. And that no was not rejection—it was direction. Jesus is the Master. He decides where His disciples go and what they do. He determines the field of service. He appoints the mission. He sends us where His grace intends to shine, not where our preferences feel most comfortable.

Jesus wanted that former demoniac to stay right there among the very people who had seen him at his worst. He wanted him to live out his transformation in the same streets where he once raged. He wanted him to speak of God’s mercy to the same neighbors who once chained him for their own safety. He wanted the contrast between his past and his present to be unmistakable. And who knows how many in that region eventually came to faith because they saw with their own eyes what Jesus had done in him? His first act of obedience was not preaching, not traveling, not performing miracles. His first act of obedience was surrender—letting go of his plans and embracing Christ’s plan.

There is a quiet but profound truth here for us. Sometimes the place we want to leave is the place Jesus calls us to stay. Sometimes the people we want to avoid are the people Jesus wants us to love. Sometimes the history we want to outrun is the very backdrop Jesus wants to redeem. And sometimes the ministry we imagine for ourselves is not the ministry Jesus assigns.

Following Jesus means trusting that His placement is purposeful. It means believing that He knows where our story will bear the most fruit. It means accepting that His plan may lead us back into places we would never choose on our own. And it means recognizing that obedience often begins with surrendering our best ideas so that His better plan can unfold.

LORD, help us to understand when our ideas are not fitting into Your plan. Teach us to release our preferences, to trust Your wisdom, and to serve faithfully wherever You place us.

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Legion’s number

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 5:6-13

⁶ Seeing Jesus from far away, he rushed and bowed down before him; ⁷ then he shrieked with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the highest God? I beg you — God, do not torture me.” ⁸ Because he had been saying to him, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!” ⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, ” Legion is my name; because we are many.” ¹⁰ He pleaded with him earnestly not to send them out of the region. ¹¹ Now there on the hill, a large herd of pigs was feeding; ¹² and the unclean spirits pleaded with him, “Send us into the pigs; so that we can enter them.” ¹³ So he allowed them. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

Legion’s number

Legion’s number was up that day, and everyone in that region could feel it. The man who had terrified the countryside, the man no chain could restrain and no community could tolerate, suddenly found himself face‑to‑face with Someone he could not intimidate. The unclean spirits inside him—those forces that had tormented him, isolated him, and stripped him of his humanity—recognized Jesus long before the disciples fully understood Him. And the moment they saw Him, they panicked. For once, it was not the villagers who trembled. It was not the disciples who trembled. It was the demons. They knew their time was over. They knew their authority was finished. They knew that the One standing before them was not merely a teacher or a healer, but the Lord of heaven and earth.

This man who could never be confined on the outside was finally about to be set free on the inside. The chains that could not hold him were nothing compared to the word Jesus was about to speak. The community had given up on him. His family had likely mourned him as dead. But Jesus had not given up. Jesus crossed a stormy sea just to reach him. Jesus stepped onto foreign soil just to confront the darkness that held him. Jesus came for the one no one else wanted.

And here is where the story touches us. I have met many saints—faithful, sincere, devoted believers—who live with a quiet fear that they are one step away from losing everything. They speak about their faith as if it were a fragile thread, thin as paper, ready to snap at the slightest pressure. They fear failure. They fear temptation. They fear their own weakness. They fear the unknown future. They fear that one wrong move will send them spiraling into the abyss.

But, Christian, look at Legion. Look at the man who had lost all control, all dignity, all hope. Look at the forces that tormented him—forces far darker than anything you face. And notice this: the thing you fear the most, fears you. Not because of your strength, but because of the One who lives within you. Legion’s demons did not tremble at the sight of the man. They trembled at the sight of Jesus. They knew who He was. They knew His authority. They knew His power. And they knew they could not stand against Him.

The forces that threaten you know the same truth. They know the God who began a good work in you. They know He intends to finish what He started. They know His investment in you is eternal. They know His Spirit is not fragile. They know His grace is not temporary. They know His hold on you is not weak. You may feel like your faith is a thin string, but in reality, you are held by the unbreakable hands of God.

You will encounter threats. You will face storms. You will meet challenges that shake you. But none of them will cause God to abandon His work in you. He does not give up halfway. He does not lose interest. He does not walk away when things get messy. His investment is forever. His commitment is unwavering. His presence is constant. And His authority is absolute.

So when fear whispers that you are on the verge of collapse, remember Legion. Remember the demons who trembled. Remember the Savior who crossed the sea for one broken man. And remember that the same Savior stands with you, speaks for you, and fights for you.

LORD, strengthen our resolve, so that when life brings us challenges, we stand in faith against them. Teach us to trust Your power more than our fear, and to rest in the confidence that You will finish the work You began in us.

Posted in fear, ministry, perseverance, resistance | Tagged Mark 5 | Leave a comment

the challenge of the unconfinable

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 5:1-5

¹ Then they came into the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. ² And when he had stepped out of the boat, just then a man coming out of the tombs[1] with an unclean spirit met him. ³ He lived among the tombs; and no one could confine him anymore, even with a chain; ⁴ because he had often been confined with shackles and chains, but the chains he tore apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and beating himself with stones.

the challenge of the unconfinable

Every community has its edges, its margins, its people who live just outside the lines the rest of us try so hard to draw. And some of those people seem to resist every attempt at structure or stability. The more carefully you try to order your own life—your routines, your responsibilities, your spiritual disciplines—the more these unpredictable people seem to disrupt your sense of balance. You can try to steer clear of them, to keep your distance, to maintain your carefully arranged world. But if you follow Jesus into the places He actually goes, avoidance will not always be an option.

Jesus has a way of leading His disciples straight into the presence of people who cannot be managed, predicted, or contained. People whose choices unsettle us. People whose chaos spills into our calm. People who do not play by the rules we live by. And when you meet them, you discover how much self‑control it takes simply to stay present. Not to fix them. Not to overpower them. Not to retreat from them. Just to stand there with the steadiness of the Spirit while someone else’s lack of control presses against your own desire for order.

It is one thing to practice self‑control in the quiet of your own home, when everything is predictable and peaceful. It is another thing entirely to practice self‑control in the presence of someone who has surrendered theirs. Their volatility exposes our impatience. Their impulsiveness reveals our fear. Their unpredictability tests our compassion. And yet, these are often the very people Jesus places in our path—not to overwhelm us, but to teach us how to trust Him in real time.

Following Jesus means stepping into situations where our own strength is not enough. It means learning to breathe deeply when someone else’s chaos threatens to pull us off center. It means remembering that the Holy Spirit’s fruit is not grown in controlled environments but in real encounters with real people who stretch us beyond our comfort. And it means believing that Jesus is not asking us to manage the unmanageable—He is asking us to trust Him while we stand in the middle of it.

So we pray, not for the power to control others, but for the grace to remain rooted in God’s presence when we cannot control anything at all.

LORD, show us how to trust You when we encounter unconfinable people and unmanageable situations. Teach us to stand firm in Your Spirit, to remain gentle in the face of volatility, and to walk with You into places where our own strength is not enough.

[1] μνημειον (5:2; 6:29; 15:46; 16:2f, 5, 8).

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sleeping Saviour

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 4:35-41

³⁵ It happened when evening came that day, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ Then, leaving the crowd behind, they took him just as he was with them in the boat. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ A severe windstorm happened, and the waves were throwing over the boat, so that the boat was already being filled. ³⁸ And he was in the stern, on the cushion, sleeping; but they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, does not the fact that we[1] are being destroyed concern you?” ³⁹ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and there was an extreme calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you being cowards? Do you not yet have faith?” ⁴¹ And they were fearing an extreme fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea answer to him?”

sleeping Saviour

There are seasons when we feel exactly like those disciples in the boat. We know Jesus is with us — we believe that with all our hearts — yet the storm is loud, the waves are high, and our prayers seem to echo into silence. We look at the chaos around us and wonder how He could possibly be calm. How could He be sleeping at a moment like this, when everything feels so fragile and frightening?

But when Jesus finally rose and stilled the storm, He didn’t just rebuke the wind. He rebuked the fear inside His disciples. His question wasn’t about the storm’s size but about their trust. Why are you so afraid? In other words: Why are you letting the storm tell you who I am? Why are you letting fear drown out what you already know about Me?

Faith is not meant to evaporate in hard times. It is meant to strengthen us for them. Jesus wants followers who trust His judgment even when His timing confuses us, even when His silence feels unbearable, even when our pleading prayers seem unanswered. He wants disciples who believe that His presence is enough — not because the storm is small, but because He is greater.

Courage in the kingdom is not bravado. It is not pretending the storm isn’t real. It is choosing to trust the One who sleeps through storms because He is never threatened by them. It is choosing to believe that His stillness is not neglect but sovereignty. It is choosing to rest in the truth that He will rise at the right moment, speak the right word, and bring the right peace.

LORD, make us courageous enough to trust You — especially when fear makes cowards of everyone else. Steady our hearts in the storm, and teach us to rest in Your presence even before the winds grow quiet.

[1] This is probably an inclusive use of “we”, and the progressive present tense.

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small investment

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Jefferson Vann

Mark 4:30-34

³⁰ He also said, “What can we compare the kingdom of God to, or which illustration will we use to describe it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when it is being planted in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds in this land;[1] ³² yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the largest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can nest under the shade it makes.” ³³ With many such illustrations he used to speak[2] the word to them, as they were able to hear it; ³⁴ he did not speak to them except with illustrations, but he explained it all in private to his own disciples.

small investment

A mustard seed hardly looks like a strategy for changing the world. It sits in your hand like a speck of dust — forgettable, unimpressive, almost laughably small. Yet Jesus chose that tiny seed as His illustration for how the kingdom works. The beginning feels insignificant, but the end is astonishing. What starts as a whisper becomes a sheltering tree. What begins as a small act of trust becomes a life that gives shade, refuge, and blessing to others.

Jesus explained these things to His disciples as they walked with Him. They had already made the leap — they had planted their mustard seeds. They had taken their small, ordinary lives and placed them in His hands. And in doing so, they discovered that the kingdom does not depend on the greatness of the seed, but on the greatness of the One who grows it.

The same is true for us. There is very little we can offer Jesus that looks impressive. Even if we gave Him everything — our time, our energy, our dreams, our very lives — the truth is that our lives are not remarkable on their own. But Jesus can make them remarkable. He can take what is small and make it expansive. He can take what is ordinary and make it fruitful. He can take what feels insignificant and weave it into His kingdom’s story.

The real question is whether we are willing to plant ourselves — our small, puny, tiny, seemingly insignificant selves — into His soil. Whether we are willing to surrender our lives to His purposes. From the outside, that surrender may look like a waste. But in the kingdom of God, it is the wisest investment we will ever make. A planted life becomes a fruitful life. A surrendered life becomes a spacious life. A tiny seed becomes a tree.

LORD, here are our lives. We surrender them to You and to Your kingdom. Make something beautiful grow.

[1] not “on the earth” because that is an untrue statement, and would not have been Jesus’ point.

[2] Greek customary imperfect tense.

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