THE OTHER SIDE

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. Mark 4:35, 37

REFERENCE
Mark 4:35-5:11

Taking a dive ahead of our text into what transpired in chapter 5, it will not be out of  place to surmise that the devil had a hand in stirring up the windstorm to prevent Jesus from getting to ‘the other side’ of His journey. Satan’s purpose must have been to either stop Jesus from proceeding on the voyage or kill Him at sea (which is more improbable). Satan is known to keep his prisoners bound and unwilling to release them. His ultimate objective then, was to prevent the deliverance of the demoniac of Gadara, for he knew that all the man needed for his deliverance was an encounter with Jesus. This man must have been a terror in that region and a testimony to the power and rage of the adversary. He was a walking demonic barracks hosting a legion of demons.

Divine agenda and Providence must have ordered Jesus’ voyage to ‘the other side’ for the deliverance of this man, but Satan became agitated, and arose against it. However, I thank God that when He sets His eyes on a man to bless, heal, transform and deliver him, no power of hell will deter Him until the man is delivered to the uttermost.

In the same manner, there are certain things the devil knows about you that makes him put hindrances on your journey of life, because if he doesn’t, you will deliver his prisoners and destroy his works. Sometimes, he puts a wedge between you and a friend that may later in the future be a blessing. Perhaps, you have a business which employs others, but suddenly, windstorms you never envisaged are coming at you fiercely and you are thinking of closing shop and letting off your employees. Or perhaps God gave you a mandate to start a ministry that will save souls in a particular locality and you obeyed. But the storms are raging and it looks like you will drown, so you want to pull out. Most definitely, it is not time to pull out because you are on a destiny journey.

There is a purpose you are heading towards in your career, marriage, ministry or even academics.  There is a life to touch; someone to bless, nurture, mentor or deliver. There is ‘the other side’ you must get to in life because there are people waiting for you to get there – people who would be free from financial bondage because they are gainfully employed by your enterprise; godly children who would bless their generation because you stayed put in your marriage; souls that would be delivered from the clutches of Satan because you heeded God’s call to serve as a minister, etc. So, don’t be fazed by life’s windstorms, continue to ‘the other side,’ somebody’s life may just depend on it!

SCRIPTURE PHOTO

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Isaiah 49:25(KJV), II Corinthians 11:22-28, & II Timothy 4:7

PRAYER POINT
Ask for strength to start and courage to continue your journey of purpose till you get to ‘the other side,’ where lives connected to yours can be transformed because you got there.