Mornings With Jesus 2016: 7-Day DevotionalSample

I have a copy of the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It features a little boy whose day is filled with one calamity after another. Frustrated, he says he wants to move to Australia.

Maybe you experience days when nothing seems to go well. I do. So did Jesus’s disciples. One such day dawned with news about John the Baptist’s beheading. The disciples had no time to mentally process this tragedy before Jesus-seeking crowds mobbed them. After ministering to the masses for many hours, they experienced a heart-stopping moment when Jesus told them to feed the thousands gathered there.

Shortly afterward, Jesus told them to board a boat and cross the lake without Him. A massive storm descended during the night, and wind and waves tossed their boat like a plastic toy. Circumstances exhausted them, and fear overwhelmed them. It seems as if the culmination of the day’s events blinded their eyes to recognizing Jesus when He approached them in the storm.

Maybe you can relate. You’ve experienced one calamity or stressor after another, and you feel like running away. Rest assured, my friend—as surely as Jesus met His disciples in the midst of the storm, so He will meet you. Focus on the reality of Christ’s presence in your life. Doing so will renew your strength and restore your courage. Trust Him, and do not be afraid. —Grace Fox

FAITH STEP: Draw a vertical line down the center of a piece of paper. On the left side, briefly name the circumstances that make your days challenging. On the right side, write a prayer thanking Jesus for being present amid those circumstances.