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&In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths&

"What Manner of Man is This"

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Read any good books lately?  There are indeed many books on the market today which could be classified as "good books".  There are books written which cover just about any subject known to man and yet there is but one book that goes beyond things known to man.  This book is called the Holy Bible and it is the inspired, infallible Word of God.  It is God's love letter to man and yet when men read this wonderful Masterpiece, they far too often miss or overlook the entire theme of this great book.  If a fairly perceptive person were to read just about any book and you were to ask them what the book was about, they would be able to tell you in very few words, the theme of that book.  You wouldn't have to read the book to know it's contents.  Sure, there may be some details that you couldn't tell someone else about, but for the most part, another person could read the book and you could tell them what they had just read.  Why is this?  It's because most if not all books have a basic theme which covers the material needed.

I have chosen the title of this little article, "What Manner of Man is This", for a purpose.  These six words are found in God's Word.  These six words describe the answer to a very real and ever present problem people have when they read not just a good book, but The Good Book.  That problem is that many people, after reading the Bible cannot tell you within even many words, what this great book is about.  Oh, they may be able to tell you in detail many of it's subjects which are covered, especially those pertaining to what they were seeking as they read it.  But, just as with every other book, there is a theme to this book that can explain the whole book.  Not only can this entire book's theme be covered in few words, but it can be described in just one word.  This one word is so very important that it is mentioned 134 times throughout this book.  Although if a man will read this entire book, he seems to overlook this word or doubt it's importance.  What is this word?  It is simply the word, "trust". 

Now, this word, "trust" is not just mentioned in the New Testament, but it is found throughout the entire Bible.  The title of this little article comes from a section of the Bible where we read about the Lord's disciples' lack of faith in Him.  In the book of Mark and chapter 4 and verses 37-41 we read, "And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.  And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?  And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?  how is it that ye have no faith?  And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"  Friend, in these few short verses, the entire theme of this great book are illustrated.  Who was this Master who rebuked the wind and the sea?  This Master was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  Who were these men who were so fearful?  They were Jesus' disciples.  What were these men's problem?  They had no faith.  There they were, disciples of Jesus Christ who were supposed to trust Him as their Saviour.  There they were out on a ship, not alone for they had Jesus Christ right there with them.  A storm arose.  They began to worry and that worry got the best of them.  They went to Him and doubted His care for their well being.  If you will notice in this little example of the Lords' followers' lack of faith, the Lord rebuked the disciples after He rebuked the wind and the sea.  Also you will notice the very important lesson these men learned from this experience.  That lesson was that even the wind and the sea obey Him.  Now, that really made them look bad for they, as weak as they were could not find it within themselves to obey Him.  His command was to trust Him. 

So sad, the fact that those disciples who were to trust Him as their Saviour were not able to trust Him to even care for them.  Isn't that sad?  Now, there are an awful lot of men and women today who say they trust Him and indeed trust Him as their Saviour, but they cannot within themselves  trust Him to care for them.  Gods' children today have an advantage over those disciples who seemingly had no faith, as we have a Good Book called the Bible, and yet when we read it, we seem to miss the entire theme of it.  Gods' children today have His Holy Spirit abiding within us while those disciples had not the Holy Spirit.  I know some may say, "But they had Jesus Christ Himself right there with them."  But if we are truly children of God, we too have Him right here with us. 

Why do you think that storm arose that day in the first place?  Here we have a God that is in charge of everything and yet there was His disciples and He Himself on that ship and a violent storm arises.  Now, God was indeed in charge of that storm even before it arose and yet He allowed it to arise to help and strengthen those disciples faith in Him.  Now, those disciples knew where to go for help as they went to Him to save them.  Many times, the Lord allows storms to arise in our lives today to test our faith, not for His satisfaction, but for either our own growth or for that of others.  He knows if we trust Him.  If we are His children, we have or have had faith in Him, but there are times when, in the time of storms, our faith becomes weak and He will allow us to see our failure to do what His Word tells us, "trust Him".  Now, that's not to say that when we do have faith in Him, there will be no storms in our lives.  Sometimes when our brothers and sisters are suffering from a faith deficit, He allows storms to come in our lives so that His glory may show through us unto those around us who may be weak.  Also, He sometimes allow us to endure these storms so that those around us who have not yet trusted Him may see that He is very real and very in charge. 

Have you any storms in your life?  Do you know Him?  Do you trust Him?  If you haven't any storms, then just wait, for they will come.  If you don't know Him or if you don't trust Him, then I beg of you to do so.  Now, nobody likes storms, but if we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we can and should rejoice when they come for they are indeed for a purpose.  Even if we do trust Him, those storms will not only fortify our own faith in Him, but they will also help some other who may not be so fortunate.  Notice, I did not say lucky!  Friend, I cannot emphasize it enough, there is no such thing.  God is truly in control of it all!  Read any good books lately?  Read the Good Book.  It's about trust.

"The Bible

This Book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of Salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers.

It's doctrines are holy, it's precepts are binding, it's histories are true, and it's decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be saved, and practice it to be holy.  It contains light to direct you, food to sustain you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter.

Here, Paradise is restored, Heaven is opened, and the gates of Hell disclosed.

Christ is it's supreme subject, our good is it's design, and the glory of God is it's end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet.

It is a paradise of wealth, and a river of pleasure.  It is given in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever.  Read it frequently, slowly, prayerfully.

It involves the highest responsibilities, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all who trifle with it's holy contents.

Read any good books lately?  If you never ever read another book, I urge you to read this Good Book.  But don't just read it, believe it.  It's all about trust.