Saturday, October 10, 2009

Never alone in a storm!


I think that personal testimonies are one of my favorite things to hear. No story ever sounds the same, nor does any life ever look the same. This journey we call "life" is filled with one adventure after another, we just have to hold on tight. There are days when my life feels like a fading photograph and other days that feel like I am in a contest to see how many times I can ride the roller coaster at the theme park-before I cry "mercy." I sit awestruck by the wonder of the Lord and all that He does day to day in all of our lives...

One exciting place to hear someone's story is in the bible..It always amazes me that there are hidden messages everywhere...For instance, let's take the story from Matthew 14:22-33, known as the story of Jesus walking on the water. What seems like a simple story, actually has some really neat teachings intertwined within it. Please read below:

Matthew 14:22-33

22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

29"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Do you see that the passage tells us that Peter was scared, that he had doubt? The writer did not come right out and say it, but Peter questioned Jesus: "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." See that "if it is you?" I almost laugh to myself-sadly because I can think of plenty of times when I knew that Jesus was trying to get my attention in the midst of a storm, but instead of just doing what I knew I was supposed to do, I would "test" him with other useless questioning.

Then it goes on to say that: "when he SAW the wind, he was afraid, and as he began to sink, Peter cried out, "Lord, save me!" Implying that he took his eyes off Jesus! Instead of focusing on the Lord, he became distracted by the clamor around him...Then it says that: "IMMEDIATELY Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Why do we doubt the Lord? He has the whole world in His hands, yet we think that our problems and issues are so big that we should handle them ourselves-our own way. But thankfully it says that after Peter cried out to the Lord-"SAVE ME," Jesus IMMEDIATELY reached out His hand and caught him. Even when we begin to loose faith and question how in the world we are going to get through, all we have to do is ask the Lord for his hand, and he will give it IMMEDIATELY. After all, we are not expected to walk on water, but rather just to have faith in the one that can!

This story is uplifting to me personally, because I can easily loose focus and forget who I am walking towards in the midst of a storm. I am so thankful that even when I do fail, Jesus is still willing to reach out of the holies into my heart to help me!

You may personally be in the midst of the storm, remember where your "help" comes from, so that you do not begin to sink!

I encourage you, take any story in the bible and ask the Lord to expose ALL that He has for you in it. And when you do, please share it with me!



Watching and Waiting,

"Rendered Heart"