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  THOUGHTS FOR THE QUIET HOUR - JUNE 11
  by D.L. Moody
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Summary: Jesus' mission is not always about achieving a specific
outcome, but about teaching us to trust in Him even in the midst of
storms.

Topics: "Divine Guidance", "Finding Peace in Storms"
Scripture References: Matthew 14:22

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D.L. Moody reflects on the experience of the disciples being constrained
by Jesus to embark on a ship, emphasizing that even when following
divine direction, one may encounter unexpected storms and challenges. He
shares his personal struggles with feeling compelled to act, only to
face failure and turmoil instead of the anticipated calm. Moody
reassures that such experiences are not a sign of divine delusion but
rather a part of God's greater purpose, teaching us that true rest can
be found even amidst life's storms.

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CONTENT
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Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship. --Matthew 14:22

Jesus constrained them to go! One would think that if ever there was the
certain promise of success in a mission, it was here. Surely, here, if
anywhere, a triumphant issue might have been confidently predicted; and
yet here, more than anywhere, there was seeming failure. He sent them
out on a voyage, and they met such a storm as they had never yet
experienced.

Let me ponder this, for it has been so with me, too. I have sometimes
felt myself impelled to act by an influence which seemed above me--
constrained to put to sea. The belief that I was constrained gave me
confidence, and I was sure of a calm voyage. But the result was outward
failure. The calm became a storm; the sea raged, the winds roared, the
ship tossed in the midst of the waves, and my enterprise was wrecked ere
it could reach the land.

Was, then, my divine command a delusion?

Nay; nor yet was my mission a failure. He did send me on that voyage,
but He did not send me for my purpose. He had one end and I had another.
My end was the outward calm; His was my meeting with the storm. My end
was to gain the harbor of a material rest; His was to teach me there is
a rest even on the open sea. --George Matheson

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/dl-moody/thoughts-for-the-quiet-hour-june-11/
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