Calming the storm

Matthew 8:23-27

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

This weekend, I experienced what, I think, the disciples must have been feeling in this passage.  We had a Cub Scout camp out.  My husband was sick, so it was completely up to me to step up and do it.  That was fine however the weather was 100% rain and 50 MPH winds.  After we went through the activities that were outdoors, we changed out of our freezing cold, wet clothing and cuddled into our sleeping bags.  It took a bit to get my son to sleep but after he was out, I laid there, listening to the winds and rain, a bit afraid of what the night would bring.  I started praying, “Lord, save us!”.  The rain was predicted to go until 8 AM so I fully did not expect to sleep at all through the night.  As I laid there praying, there was a low in the rain and winds.  I finally fell asleep for a bit. 

I woke up again a bit later, first thought being concerned again.  That’s when I felt the Lord telling me, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”  I felt some peace and knew the we would be okay.  While the winds continued a bit, the rain did stop about 2 AM. 

Through our lives, we often face different storms.  The Lord is waiting for us to trust him.  Have you seen him calm the storms in your life?  Take the time today to trust that the Lord is in control and will calm the storms at the right time.

Psalm 6--Deliverance

“O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;

O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD--how long?

Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!

For in death there is no remembrance of You;

In the grave who will give You thanks?

I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim;

I drench my couch with my tears.

My eye wastes away because of grief;

It grows old because of all my enemies.

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;

For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

The LORD has heard my supplication;

The LORD will receive my prayer.

Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;

Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.”

     Psalm 6:1-10 (NKJV)

God is a mighty deliverer, as many stories in the Bible illustrate.  Just think of how He parted the Red Sea to deliver the children of Israel from all of Pharaoh’s armies.  Or how He protected Shadrach, Meschach and Abed-Nego from destruction in King Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace.   Or opened the prison doors and shackles for Paul and Silas.

And God still delivers today.  From desperate situations, from fear, from sickness, from oppression, etc.  But deliverance doesn’t always come when we’d like and we have to wait.  Sometimes God uses the situation to grow our faith, to help us learn patience and perseverance, to strengthen our dependence on Him.  But we can be sure that He hears our prayers and His timing is perfect.

So don’t give up, don’t be discouraged. Press into Him; trust fully in Him.  God is rich in mercy and His abundant grace is sufficient to sustain us until deliverance comes.

Thursday Devotional - Better than Money

Does money really buy happiness?

I’m sure Jessica’s family would pay thousands and thousands of dollars to bring her sister-in-law back to life, pay for a cancer cure, etc. (see Monday’s devotional) Money doesn’t solve all our problems.

Peter offered better than money to a lame beggar.

Acts 3:6-10 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

More than just physical healing, this man was offered spiritual healing! God used the physical healing to open the door for Peter to share the truths about God and Jesus Christ (as you can read in the rest of chapter 3). The beggar was so thankful Peter gave him something better than money!!!

What about you and me? Are we more focused on providing financial means for ourselves and our family? Or, are we giving those around us something better than money? Are we sharing the truths of God that can bring spiritual healing for all eternity, no matter what happens in this life?

Alice

Heart & Humility

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
       be pleasing in your sight,
       O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

The topic of prayer has recently come up in my journey.  Not just from the standpoint of my own prayers but more into the thought of praying the right prayer.  When I was a younger Christian (if you consider being 40 ‘young,’ I heard a gentleman talk about prayer life saying that God is all knowing, and even if you are not good at prayer, he understands your heart.  And He will hear your prayer and request.  As I’ve grown older, I heard more complex teachings on prayer.  For example, the sermon at my church this week gave me three key takeaways.  My pastor said that prayer is defined by the entire Bible and not just a few verses.  Second, it is about connecting with God and not about what we get out of it.  Finally, it is an act of obedience and not desperation.  These points were very helpful in understanding what a prayer life should be like.  My confusion however focused on what I first learned.  If my prayers are not really good, can my prayer life be?  The answer is in the humility which you present it with.

Our words and hearts must be in alignment with each other for our prayers to really be worthwhile.  You see, you really can’t have a solid prayer life unless your heart is into it.  That is why a person who is born again and seemingly ignorant on the right way to pray to God can be more impactful than the most studied of prayer warriors.  Reading the Psalms of David are a great reminder of what a successful prayer life would sound like.  I was reading a historian’s viewpoint on David’s writing of the 19^th Psalm.  They said the chapter is twofold talking first about how great God is and how he is Lord over all things.  However, the second part is a bit of his own introflection.  David wrote:

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.  Psalm 19:12-13

 It’s as if to say, “I know I am not you, God.  Help me be a good man and not a worldly one.”  This shows the humility of David understanding that while he is King of Israel and a great man, he is a servant of God, and as such, needed Him to help make the right choices so that he will be blameless.  How often do we go to God with this kind of heart?  One that acknowledges His greatness and our weakness?  This was why the closing of the 19^th Psalm was perfect.  We want our prayers to fully see who God is, and to look upon Him knowing we simply cannot make it without Him.  This is the heart of a believer who is fully connected with God.

Our prayer life is a simple reminder of our relationship with God.  It keeps it real because it is above a ritual that we mark off and more personal than practical.  Do not let your prayers just be an idle act.  Make it meaningful and impactful as a true act of worship, appreciation, and adoration for the one true living God.  Are your prayers heartfelt or just going through the motions?  What changes can you make to improve on your prayers and prayer life?  My prayer is that we go to God frequently with two key ingredients; heart and humility.  Amen.

The comfort of the Lord

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Over the past week, I have traveled a very dark valley with my husband and his family.  We watched helplessly as my husband’s sister, came to the end of her battle with cancer.  We watched helplessly as her husband and kids tried to understand why and how they would go on.  We watched helplessly, yet we feared no evil, as we knew the Lord was with all of us through this dark valley.  His rod and staff have been there to comfort us and we know they will continue to be there to comfort us.

What has been hardest however, is watching as some of those that loved her, do not know the Lord and therefore do not know the comfort that we have in him.  I thank the Lord that Mary was a born again Christian and loved the Lord, yet struggle with how this will impact her husband and kids that do not have that relationship. 

Today, I ask that you pray for those around you that do not know the Lord.  This world can be dark and hard to survive without the love and comfort of God. 

Storm Shelter

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous run to it and are safe.”

     Proverbs 18:10

“For You have been a shelter to me,

a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

Selah.”

     Psalm 61:3-4

Spiritual storms come in all shapes and sizes, and none of us are immune from them. It’s been said that if you’re not in a storm right now, you’ve either just come out of one or one is heading your way.  That’s why it’s so helpful to know the many promises of refuge and shelter in the Bible, such as the two listed above.

A daily infusion of the word of God helps us prepare, so that when the storms start raging, we’ll know (or know where to find) pertinent verses to strengthen and encourage us.

I’m grateful that the Lord’s name is a strong tower and that when I run to it, I’m safe.  I’ve experienced God’s shelter under His wings and I know it brings rest and peace, even in the midst of a storm.

God doesn’t promise that we will avoid the storms, but He will be with us and help us through them.  Hide God’s word in your heart, run to Him when the dark clouds appear and know that He is a strong tower of protection for you. 

Thursday Devotional - Clearing up Confusion

At the tower of Babel (Genesis 11), God confused the people’s languages because of their disobedience. They had refused to scatter over the earth as He commanded, so He made it so they had to scatter because they couldn’t understand each other anymore. However, on the day of Pentecost, God united the different languages.

Acts 2:1-6, 11-12      When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken… ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” ¹² Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Peter boldly answered their question by sharing the truths about Jesus.

Acts 2:32-33, 36       ³² God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. ³³ Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear… ³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Peter then boldly called them to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and salvation. God brought all the different languages together. Jesus had died for all of them, no matter what their nationality or background. His plan of salvation is available to any who will accept it.  

Acts 2:21       And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Who do you and I know that is confused and needs clarity about God and His truths? Like Peter, we can clearly, lovingly and boldly share God’s plans with them by the Holy Spirit’s power.

Alice

God's Will

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

When faced with tough decisions, sometimes it can be hard to figure out what is God’s will, verses our own will.  This is especially hard if we conform to the pattern of this world, or their way of thinking.  If we look at the world and how they have twisted the command to love everyone to instead mean be accepting of everyone, we see just one example of how we can then no longer be able to clearly test and approve what God’s will is. 

Rather if we allow our minds to be transformed to how God wants us to live, we can clearly test and approve when something is or is not his will. 

I’m sure each of us has something in our lives that we are trying to figure out what the Lord’s will is with it.  I encourage you today to allow him to transform your mind so you will know.

Seasons

“While the earth remains,

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat, winter and

summer, and day and night

shall not cease.”

     Genesis 8:22 (NKJV)

“Jesus Christ is the same

yesterday, tomorrow,

and forever.”

    Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

I saw a church sign near the Eagan office today and it said: “Seasons change, God does not.”  It made me smile because it’s true. 

Here in Minnesota, we’re in the midst of fall with beautiful colored leaves, cooler temperatures and shortening days.  I do love the changing seasons.  But I love even more the fact that our God does not change.  He is eternal, beyond time and beyond the seasons He creates.  Our Savior Jesus Christ is always the same--yesterday, tomorrow and forever.  That stability is a great comfort, knowing that He is our solid Rock.

I also take comfort in knowing that God made the seasons to give order to our lives, to provide a rhythm to the days and months.  “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  Almighty God is sovereign and His gracious hand ordains the seasons in our calendars and the seasons in our lives. 

As you’re out raking leaves or enjoying a walk in the sweater-weather, take a moment to thank God for His beautiful work in the seasons and praise Him for His unchanging character. 

Thursday Devotional - Times of Waiting

What are we to do while we wait on God’s answers and/or His timing?

As we saw last week, Jesus (just before His ascension) told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit. However, he didn’t tell them where to wait, what to do in the meantime or how long the wait would be.  

Acts 1:12-14  ¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. ¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

In obedience to Jesus, the disciples waited in Jerusalem. They did the best thing they could do while waiting – they prayed! Maybe they prayed for patience, guidance and next steps. God did give them patience to wait and not run ahead! It appears He also guided their immediate next step - to get organized (as they prayerfully replaced Judas (Acts 1:15-26)).

God provides guidance while waiting.

As Joe and I prayed and waited for God’s answers about children, He helped us continue what He had already called us to do - responsibilities at church and in our community, BSF leadership, etc.

Where else do you and I need to trust God’s intentions and purposes, while waiting on His answers and timing? What instruction do you and I need to follow, even though we don’t know or understand what’s next?

Let’s be prayerful as we wait and listen carefully for His guidance on the next small step.  

Alice