Genesis-155 – Weak but Strong

Genesis 49:8–12 (NKJV/Refined)

 

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s children shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of all people. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.” Amen.

 

The Blessing Toward Judah and the History of Reversal

The passage we are meditating on today is the prophecy Jacob left for his son, Judah. When we compare this with the words previously spoken to Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, the difference in tone is strikingly evident. Anyone following the flow of the text will immediately realize that this declaration—"You are he whom your brothers shall praise; your father’s children shall bow down before you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies"—is clearly a word of blessing, far removed from any curse.

 

This stands in stark contrast to the stern messages of judgment proclaimed to the older brothers. However, we must pause to ask a profound question: Did Judah live a more righteous life than Reuben? Did he serve God more faithfully than Simeon or Levi to deserve such a blessing? If we examine Judah's life from this perspective, we cannot help but tilt our heads in doubt.

 

Repentance Rising Above Selfishness and Failure

We are somewhat familiar with Judah’s past. His life enters the forefront of the biblical narrative at the moment Joseph was sold into slavery. Do you remember what happened then? Originally, Joseph was at risk of being killed, but Judah took on the role of a mediator to save him. He proposed to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother? Let us sell him instead."

 

Thus, the motive behind Judah saving Joseph was none other than "profit." His calculation was that selling his brother would be more economically beneficial than merely getting rid of him. While we cannot judge a person’s entire character by this single event, his subsequent actions reveal that Judah was quite selfish, shrewd in calculation, and thoroughly profit-driven. To prioritize personal gain in a desperate situation where a brother’s life was at stake suggests that, by today’s standards, he might have been a highly resourceful businessman.

 

Ultimately, Judah convinced his brothers and carried out his plan. However, his ensuing actions are even more unexpected. In the very next chapter, Judah appears in a completely different light. He separated himself from his brothers, left the protection of his family, and immediately married a Gentile woman.

 

Recall the core of the conflict between Jacob and Esau. What was the greatest grief for Isaac and Rebekah regarding Esau? It was his marriage to Gentile women. Even Esau, realizing his parents' sorrow too late, tried to appease them by marrying Ishmael’s daughter. In a family tradition that strictly cautioned against marrying foreign women, the fact that Judah independently left home and took a Gentile wife was truly shocking. It was a course of action that makes one wonder how such a departure from faith could occur within a household of the covenant.

 

Inevitably, these poor choices led Judah into a massive whirlpool of tragedy—the incident with his daughter-in-law, Tamar—an event almost too disgraceful to mention. At the center of this tragic event lay Judah’s selfishness once again. While one might try to understand it as a father's instinct to protect his surviving son, I call it "selfishness" because he had no interest in God's promise or the mission entrusted to him. In other words, he lived a life that held God's promises in very low regard.

 

Judah’s Transformation: Realizing the Preciousness of the Promise

However, Judah's life did not simply end in failure. In the scene where he later reunites with Joseph, the version of Judah we see is an entirely different person. I want to highlight the part where he pleads with Joseph on behalf of his younger brother, Benjamin. He entreats Joseph, saying: “Please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers.”

 

Here, Judah is asking to be made a slave himself. This is truly a miraculous transformation. It is a side of Judah that was nowhere to be found in the man we saw earlier. The man who once calculated every move for his own gain now offers himself as a sacrificial substitute for another.

 

The catalyst for this fundamental change was found at the end of the Tamar incident. Through that tragic event, Judah came to a deep realization of what his fundamental sin was. His transgression was not merely a superficial immorality; it was the fact that he had treated God’s promise and His Word with lightheartedness.

 

Once he faced his own flaws, Judah immediately turned his life around. He declared toward Tamar, "She has been more righteous than I," honestly confessing his fault. The Bible records that he never knew her intimately again. This vividly demonstrates what true repentance is. Repentance goes beyond merely correcting an external behavior; it is a deep insight into where the center of the heart was that triggered such behavior. Judah confronted the reality that his actions were not just fatherly love for his son, but were, in fact, an inner rebellion against God's promise.

 

This insight aligns closely with the principles of parenting today. We must not stop at correcting outward behavior, such as saying, "Don't fight" or "Endure it because you're the older brother." We must look at the underlying reason. It is like identifying the root cause: "You are conflicting right now because of the fundamental issue of 'greed'." Judah realized that very point. He confessed that he had made light of God's promise and turned back completely.

 

Based solely on past deeds, Judah was in no way better than Reuben, Simeon, or Levi. However, Judah possessed one thing that the other brothers did not: he had sincere "repentance," and through that repentance, he took hold of "God's promise" once again. This became the most decisive turning point that transformed Judah’s life.

 

Eternal Value Discovered Amidst Failure and Shame

Friends, it was Judah who led the selling of Joseph, and it was Judah who married a Gentile woman and left his father’s house. The very person who caused irreparable wounds and turmoil within the family through the incident with Tamar was also Judah. Yet, it was in the depths of this wretched failure and shame that Judah finally faced who he was and what he had been missing. He realized how precious the value of God's promise truly is.

 

As the scripture says, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever," Judah existentially understood at the bottom of his life the true meaning of the truth we confess daily: "God’s Word is the most important." From the depths of his soul came the confession, "It is true; only this Word is the only way that saves me."

 

Esau, whom we know well, is a character who followed a very similar trajectory to Judah. Esau’s fault also lay in his marriage to Gentile women and, above all, in the recklessness of trading his birthright for a bowl of stew. Hebrews 12:16 points out how lightly he regarded God's promise, recording that he sold his birthright for a single meal.

 

We might think that we have never sold a birthright or treated God's promise with contempt. However, Judah's narrative does not remain merely someone else's story. The twelve sons of Jacob, including Judah, symbolize all of Israel and serve as a mirror reflecting how the people who have received God's promise live in this world.

 

We, too, often fall into the same contradictions as Judah. In reality, we often treat God's promise all too lightly, even without realizing it. We confess with our lips that we love and stay close to God's Word, but how much do we truly believe in the real power of that Word and the fact that it will surely be fulfilled in our lives? If we ask ourselves whether we truly revere that Word, we have no choice but to confess our own weakness.

 

The core of the change Judah experienced was not that he suddenly became morally flawless or externally magnificent. Even afterward, he revealed the limitations of a sinful human being, participating in the destruction of a city with his brothers. However, there was one change that clearly severed him from his past life: it was the thorough spiritual realization that "one must never forget God's Word, and one must never treat that promise lightly."

 

The Eternal Kingship Proclaimed in the Name of Praise

Now, Jacob proclaims a blessing of prophecy over Judah. Recalling Judah's shameful past, this message delivered through Jacob is truly marvelous. Jacob declares, "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise." While it is translated as "shall be a praise" in some versions, the more accurate implication of the original text is closer to "your brothers shall extol you."

 

Originally, the etymological meaning of the name "Judah" is "praise." This name was given by his mother, Leah. She named her fourth son Judah as a confession of faith: "I will praise the Lord." What kind of woman was Leah? She was a woman who desperately craved the love of her husband, Jacob, her whole life.

 

When her first son, Reuben, was born, she hoped, "See, a son! Surely now my husband will love me." But Jacob’s heart remained unmoved. Even after bearing her second, Simeon, she expected, "The Lord has heard my grief; now my husband will understand my heart," but that wish was never fulfilled. Jacob still loved only Rachel single-mindedly. Having her third, Levi, she hoped, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me," but the distance from Jacob did not narrow in the slightest.

 

Through the agonizing process of bearing three sons, Leah seems to have reached a deep spiritual awakening. She realized that her life was not merely meant to be trapped in complaints and resentment, but that there was a gracious providence God intended to achieve through her weary life. Finally, upon the birth of her fourth son, she made a great resolution of faith: "Now I will praise the Lord." Turning her eyes away from her own deficiencies and desires, she fully acknowledged God's sovereignty and offered up the name "Judah."

 

However, in today’s text, Jacob proclaims the meaning of the name "Judah" in a somewhat startling way. While the original meaning was a confession to "praise the Lord," Jacob now says, "Brothers, praise Judah." In our theological common sense, the object of praise is God alone. How can the object of praise be shifted from God to Judah?

 

Some interpret this as hinting at the high position Judah would later ascend to. While that is a valid explanation, we must humbly attend to the deeper spiritual mystery this blessing contains beyond the mere extolling of the human Judah.

 

Jesus Christ, the Eternal King to Come Through the Tribe of Judah

The verses following Genesis 49:8 provide crucial clues to resolving the earlier question. What event is foreshadowed in the subsequent content? It says all of Judah’s brothers will bow down to him. In the biblical context, "bowing down" means anointing him as king. The same history that occurred when the brothers bowed to Joseph is being prophesied here. Joseph’s son Ephraim obtained the birthright instead of Manasseh, and the kings of Northern Israel indeed emerged from the tribe of Ephraim. Thus, the Bible often uses the symbolic name of kingship, "Ephraim," when referring to Northern Israel. Just as Joseph gained the birthright and kingship was established through him, a majestic history was likewise granted to Judah. As Judah receives the homage of all his brothers, the kingship of the tribe of Judah officially begins its prologue.

 

Friends, who is the most widely known figure among Judah's descendants? It is King David. The most revered king in Israel's history was born from the tribe of Judah. The kingship that began with David continued steadily through his descendants. Leaving aside for a moment how two tribes could simultaneously enjoy this blessing of kingship, we must first focus on the fact that this is clearly a promise regarding "kingship." However, within the proclamation that Judah will receive praise, there is a profound meaning that transcends David’s human kingship.

 

There is a fundamental distinction between the kingship of Ephraim and that of Judah. Ephraim’s kingship is a temporary one that ends within the order of this world. This is because God never essentially made an eternal covenant with that tribe. Although the promise of becoming king through Joseph—that is, Ephraim—was realized on earth, and ten out of the twelve tribes indeed submitted to him, it was always something that remained within historical limits. After the era of Solomon ended and the nation was divided, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained as the Southern Kingdom of Judah, maintaining a separate kingship.

 

However, Judah’s kingship is fundamentally different in nature from Ephraim's. This happened when God gave a prophecy to David through the prophet Nathan. When David showed great zeal to build a temple for the Lord, God asked in return when He had ever requested a house to be built, and instead said He would build a house for Himself and for David. Entrusting that task to his son Solomon, God added: “Your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.” This is a prophecy endowed with the divine attribute of "eternity," entirely different from what was granted to the tribe of Ephraim.

 

From a purely historical perspective, this promise might seem unfulfilled. After the division of the kingdom, Ephraim’s Northern Israel was the first to fall to Assyria, and Southern Judah likewise does not currently exist as a national entity. The name of the nation occupying that land today is Israel, not Judah. Even if they call themselves Jews, their national identity is Israel. Then has God's covenant that Judah would be preserved forever faded? If judged only by human, secular standards, it might appear as an unfulfilled empty promise.

 

However, the "eternal preservation" spoken of in the Bible does not refer to an earthly political dynasty. The physical kings starting from David vanish into the mists of history, but through that bloodline comes the true King, the eternal Ruler, Jesus Christ. God is now revealing not a kingdom of flesh and blood, but the eternal Kingdom of God. Judah does not merely remain as a ruler who dominated an era; he became a holy channel prefiguring the eternal Kingship of Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Therefore, the declaration "Praise Judah" is an exceptional language where the object and purpose of praise have shifted. This is because the spiritual position and meaning occupied by the existence of Judah have been completely transformed through Christ.

 

We finally come to realize: though Judah appeared infinitely deficient and lacking in our eyes, God bestowed upon him immeasurable glory and a name, and granted him this unsearchable blessing of grace.

 

The Nakedness of Our Nature and the Grace of God

Then, did the descendants of Judah live perfect lives? Just as even the great King David did not, history thereafter was riddled with numerous flaws and problems. Of course, there were truly excellent monarchs among the kings of the line of Judah. King Hezekiah and King Josiah, whom we know well, are representative examples. In particular, what does the Bible testify about King Josiah? It records that neither before nor after him was there a king who turned to the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength, according to all the Law of Moses.

 

Who was there before Josiah? There was King David, whom we regard as the greatest sovereign. Yet, the Bible evaluates that Josiah turned to God more perfectly than even David. But was even Josiah, who received such brilliant praise, a perfect being? No, he was not. He, too, was an imperfect human being. Because he also failed to fully obey God, he ultimately died in battle against Egypt. The fact that a king like Josiah met such a hollow end was a great shock to everyone at the time. Through this fragment of history, we clearly realize that the perfection God requires can be achieved only through Jesus Christ.

 

Regarding this work accomplished through Christ—specifically the glory in which Christ is exalted—we will meditate more deeply as we study Judah next week. Today, I want to focus more on "what kind of state" Judah was in when God exalted him so. If we see Judah not as a stranger but as ourselves, should we not first face our original state—the lowliness we shared with Judah—in order to be exalted with Christ? We must know who we originally were, how the Lord rescued us, and to what place of glory He intends to lead us.

 

Friends, what kind of person was Judah originally? As we have already meditated, he was a profoundly selfish and calculating man. He was a heartless brother who sold his own flesh and blood, Joseph, into slavery for his own petty profit.

 

When I preach on the narrative of Joseph or mention the identity of a believer, although we have confessed our sins to God and become children of the Lord through faith in Jesus, it is actually not an easy task to discuss the term "sinner" or the reality of "sin" itself. To speak coldly, none of us, including myself, fully perceives what sin is or how deep a sinner we are. The only one who clearly sees the reality of sin is Jesus. Only the Lord knows how terrifying and horrific the destructive power of sin is. Because sin is such an indescribably heavy reality that it could only be resolved if the Son of God, Jesus, died.

 

However, this fact does not feel real to us. It's because you are actually not such "bad" people. Honestly, few among you would consider yourselves "so wicked that your conscience wouldn't allow you to look anyone in the eye." You haven't committed crimes deserving social condemnation, and you are people who have strived to live rightly in your own way. Because you are people who hesitate to harm others and maintain a certain level of decency and duty, it is very difficult for both you and me to realize what terrible sinners we are. Thus, we tend to settle for considering ourselves "decent enough sinners."

 

Superficial Decency and Unwavering Nature

I once thought of this. One day, while talking with you, the topic of people who disregard public order and lack manners came up. We mentioned specific ethnicities and wondered how they could be that way, adding our own guesses like whether it was due to overpopulation. But while having that conversation, a memory of my own past suddenly came to mind.

 

It was back when Gimpo Airport still served as the international airport. It was a time when it felt natural to watch passengers disembark outside the airport or go meet them directly. Around that time, there was an incident that was widely reported in daily newspapers and editorials. My mother, saying it would help improve my Korean, cut out and scrapped the editorials for me every day, so I remember that article very vividly.

 

The landscape in the photograph was quite peculiar. Because the flight was delayed, passengers had to wait, and those waiting opened their bags, took out the blankets and clothes, and spread them on the airport floor. Then, they placed a bottle of soju—goodness knows where they got it—in front of them and started playing Go-Stop (a card game) on top of it. It wasn't just the eccentric behavior of one or two people; the entire airport was covered in such a sight. That scene was caught in a photograph and published in the newspaper, and the editorial poured out scathing criticism asking what kind of civilized citizens they were.

 

Not long ago, our own appearance was like that. Now, we click our tongues seeing the disorderly behavior of people from other countries, but in fact, it hasn't been that long since we escaped such conduct. Seeing how it has become rare to carve names on famous monuments or leave Korean graffiti lately, I often think that we too have become quite sophisticated on the surface. But has our inner self truly changed? Not at all. We just became a little more prosperous, gained some leisure, and an environment was created where we could maintain manners.

 

Friends, do not be deceived by appearances. I remember being very envious of the sense of order among Americans when I first came to the U.S. I was impressed by the way they never broke a line anywhere and waited their turn. I later learned there was an interpretation that it wasn't because Americans were inherently "good," but because the fines for violating regulations were very strict. But looking at LA today as time has passed, I feel it has become much harsher than before. As the leisure of life vanished, coarse behaviors that weren't seen before have begun to rear their heads one by one.

 

When there is leisure in life and an environment to support decency, anyone can act politely and respectably toward others. But reflect on our parents' generation. Amidst the devastation of war, or even when I was in high school, if you waited your turn in line, you were bound to be late for school. You had to let more than ten buses pass you by. In those days, you had to tuck your bag under your arm and throw yourself into the crowd without minding anyone's gaze. No one criticized such fierceness. But if you were to act like that today, you would face immense condemnation.

 

It is not that we have fundamentally improved. We are still beings who can return to our past naked selves at any time if only the opportunity and environment were given. We are just living leisurely, enjoying the benefits of the era because we met good parents and environments; our essential nature has not changed.

 

Did Germans commit such horrific deeds during the war because they were uniquely cruel, or because a certain ethnicity was exceptionally poisonous? We too, when we stepped onto foreign battlefields, showed the same behaviors as them and committed acts that are hard to put into words. It's not that humans themselves improve; it's just that the veil of education and environment is covering us.

 

Our nature is still selfish and emotional, biased toward ourselves rather than logic. We say we strive to empathize with the pain of others, but in reality, the tiny thorn in my own pinky finger feels much more painful than someone else's fatal wound—such is the limitation of human beings. No matter how much we talk about noble empathy, the most precious object to us is still ourselves.

 

The diagnosis of the Bible is without a single error. We love ourselves intensely. The "self-love" here means a negative obsession. To be a being that prioritizes oneself over any other value—that is precisely what we are. Therefore, we must not misunderstand ourselves. We must accurately and honestly face who we truly are.

 

Faith’s Rest in God’s Promise

Furthermore, friends, how lightly do we treat God’s promise? If we face our true selves as discussed earlier, we cannot help but ask whether we truly perceive God’s promise deep in our hearts. The Lord clearly promised you: “I will be with you; therefore, do not fear.” Did the Lord say this, or did He not? He certainly did. Through the Old Testament, He repeatedly emphasized, “Do not fear, do not be dismayed.” Yet what is our reality? We are startled first. We are seized by fear first. It's not that we are startled because the situation is truly unbearable despite having etched God’s Word in our hearts; the naked reality is that we habitually get scared first. Then later, when God comes back to persuade us, speaks to us again, and teaches us, only then do we respond, “Ah, I didn't realize. I should have held firmly to this promise, and only now am I laying down my worries.” Indeed, the truth seems to pierce the heart at times. Since I am pointing out the facts so precisely, why are you all looking at me so sternly? In fact, this is my own shameful confession as well.

 

Furthermore, in today’s text, Judah is described as a "lion." It is the image of a strong victor. This is not only a positive metaphor revealing the dignity of the tribe of Judah but also an expression symbolizing the Messiah to come, Jesus Christ. The text prophesies that Judah will grasp the neck of his enemies. When we hear the news that Christ works bravely like a lion for us and subdues the neck of the enemy, we often have a spirited conviction: “Yes, come at me! Since I, who have received the grace of the Lord, now go forth by His power, you will all be defeated before the Word of God.” Thus, we are sometimes seized by a conqueror-like desire to make anyone kneel before us.

 

This attitude is projected in mission fields, at the site of evangelism, and even in conversations between believers. Despite the conviction that I am right, or the intellectual acknowledgment that the other person is also a child of God, we find it difficult to accept if that person does not follow my will. This is because the pride and stubbornness of "I" still remain at the top of the priority list. And so we often mistakenly think, with overconfidence, that like Judah or like the lion-like Jesus Christ, I will personally lead and destroy any satanic hindrance or obstacle.

 

Who Shall Rouse the Lion? An Unwavering Rest

Friends, this verse contains an even more profound implication than we typically think. This will likely be the part we must deal with most deeply as our final point today. Let us read verse 9 again in unison.

 

“Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?”

 

The meaning of the first half is relatively clear. It compares Judah to a lion’s whelp. It is the symbol of courage and the strongest among beasts. In ancient Israel, the lion, not the tiger, was considered the most dignified and capable animal. In other words, it is a declaration that Judah has such excellent capability. It suggests he is a powerful being strong enough to seize and tear prey. Thus, we naturally associate this strong Judah with subduing the neck of the enemy.

 

But pay attention to the following phrase: “He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?” Generally, this part is understood as a tense state where a lion is lying in wait to hunt an enemy. It's accepted as meaning that since he is crouching to pounce at any moment whenever an enemy or beast appears, who would dare touch that fierce lion? Of course, this interpretation is not wrong. But let me read this sentence from a slightly different angle and see how it compares.

 

“He bows down and crouches as a resting lion, so who can wake him?”

 

Doesn't the meaning completely flip? This verse doesn't mean that the lion is lurking to launch an attack, but that he is "resting" in extreme peace. If you watch programs about animal ecology, do you know what a lion does all day? Except for the short time spent hunting, they spend most of the time lying down and resting. The text describes that very peaceful scene. It is a paradox: he is bowing down and crouching, resting in extreme tranquility, yet his presence is so overwhelming that who could dare wake the lion from his sleep?

 

This verse forms a startling parallel with a scene recorded in the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament. A fierce windstorm arose, the waves beat into the boat, and the situation was urgent and perilous, with the boat about to sink. What was Jesus doing then? He was at the stern, sleeping on a pillow. He wasn't just lying down; He had personally brought a pillow and was in a deep sleep. Right in the middle of that engulfing windstorm.

 

The panicked disciples ran and cried out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Friends, this dramatic scene is in line with what today’s text points to. Who can wake this Jesus from His rest? Not the angry waves, not the harsh storm, not the seawater filling the boat—no external threat can wake the sleep of Jesus Christ. This is because Christ is the Sovereign who rebukes all these natural elements to be still. Nothing in this world can encroach upon the divine rest the Lord enjoys.

 

According to the record in Mark, only "humans" could wake Him. Only when the disciples cried out in desperation, “Lord, have mercy on us,” did the Lord finally rise to rebuke the storm and work. But then the Lord said to the disciples: “O you of little faith, why are you so fearful?”

 

True Peace Enjoyed with the Lord

Why is it so? Is it because of the wind and the storm? No. No matter how fiercely the waves of the world beat, they cannot become a fundamental threat. Where does the real problem lie? It lies in our forgetting the stark fact that we are dwelling with Jesus Christ. Because Christ is with us, in reality, no storm can shake us. The disciples were staying in the safest place—the place where true rest could be enjoyed—but unfortunately, they failed to perceive that fact.

 

For you and me to live like Judah today means to walk with Jesus Christ, the Lion. We often imagine only the powerful image of Jesus biting and destroying all enemies like a lion. But do you know the place where Jesus subdued the neck of the enemy and won the victory? That place is none other than the Cross. He did not wield a sword, a gun, or secular power; He won the final victory on that Cross where He died as a substitute for us. The reason the Bible calls Him a "Lion" is not just because He is physically strong. It is because He symbolizes the absolute authority and divine rest that no one can dare invade.

 

Friends, if you are truly dwelling in Christ, who could dare touch you? What could dare cause your life to be shaken? Nevertheless, even while hearing the promise not to worry because God is with us, we fall into fear as soon as the wave in front of us rises even slightly. Thus, I want to conclude today's message with two exhortations.

 

The first exhortation is this: if you truly cannot endure the fear and the dread overwhelms you, do not hesitate to wake the Lord. No wind or storm of this world can break the Lord’s rest. Only a single being—we, the children of God—can wake the Lord. So go to the Lord and cry out earnestly, “Lord, I am afraid. Have mercy on me and help my unbelief.” I hope you meditate deeply on what a marvelous privilege it is that you can go directly to the Lord and plead. The Lord is never shaken or distracted by the clamor of the world, but when a beloved child calls, He rises from that deep rest to rebuke the storm for us and care for us. This is the first measure we must take in the midst of suffering.

 

But I also want to offer a second, earnest exhortation. Remember that any storm or gale that rushes in as if to swallow your life is nothing but a triviality before Jesus Christ. Those things can never shake the Lord. Looking at the Lord who sleeps serenely even in the storm, why not try confessing like this: “Lord, I too desire to dwell in this rest with You. Lord, You do not even need to wake up. What in this world can shake my beloved Lord? My life is in Jesus Christ, who never wavers or changes.”

 

Our lives are under the reign of Jesus Christ, which cannot be altered by any storm of the world. I earnestly hope that you and I will experience the mystery of that unwavering, eternal rest together with the Lord.

 

Let us pray.

Lord, what could we possibly fear? How easily we live forgetting the fact that we are dwelling in that deep and mysterious rest of Yours.

 

Who could possibly wake my Lord, and what could possibly dare shake my Lord? We humbly confess at this time that except for us, Your children, no storm of this world can ever be a problem before the Lord. We earnestly pray that we who dwell in the Lord may experience the mystery of true rest enjoyed only because of You.

 

Lord, even so, if our hearts tremble and are anxious, and we wake You by calling Your name in fear, Lord, do not turn away from our frail voices but listen to us. Lord, rise and embrace us in our lack of faith, and hold and help our wavering souls.

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, our eternal refuge, we pray. Amen.