The Calm in the Deep
You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. -James 5:8
Followers of Jesus Christ are perpetual tip-toe standers! We peer over the threshold of history and daily events, knowing that the Lord can appear at any moment. He will show up in various ways in daily routine. Someday, He will ride into history in His Second Coming.
Among the meanings of “strengthen” in the Greek original language is that of making a definite and strong turn in a certain direction. When history is howling with crisis and your daily responsibilities are screaming with problems, the way to strengthen your heart is to get your gaze up high, and watch for what the Lord is going to do and how He’s going to manifest Himself in the midst of the fracas.
Such an outlook leads to well-established calmness in the crisis. A friend told of going scuba diving in rough seas. “How were you able to dive?” I asked. “It was hard to get to the diving spot, but under the surface it was calm and serene,” he said.
The strengthened heart is full of peace when the world on the surface tosses in torment.
TODAY’S HEART FOCUS
Use your prayer time today to set your focus away from current events and demands of daily routine, and onto the Lord. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in all you encounter today.