Sleeping in the Storm

As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.  Luke 8:23

As I read this story of Jesus sleeping in the boat that was filling with water while the disciples battled to keep the boat afloat in the raging waters, I am reminded of how we can so easily think that God is asleep in the midst of our troubles, and we have to keep things afloat.  Our problem is often that we feel we need to be in control or at least have things looking like they are in order.

How difficult it is for us ,(read me).  to watch a situation occurring and to just let it happen.  It's not in my nature,  I want to fix things.  Actually that means I want to be in control.  It is so interesting that God allows things to get messy sometimes in order to bring about His purposes.  If we try to fix things, we can actually prevent him from being able to bring about the best solution to the issue.

Let's face it, a lot of us are 'fixers'.  Would we have allowed Moses to spend 40 years minding sheep in the desert?  A clever young man like him, such a great upbringing, such leadership capabilities.  Shepherding??  What a waste!  Yet God was using that time in the desert as a character-building exercise for Moses.  There was a time for his leadership skills to be used......actually the time was when he had no confidence in himself. (Exodus 4).

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 the writer says that "there is a time for everything....".  That time is the right time, God's time and his timing is perfect.  Have you noticed how many stories and prophecies in the Bible demonstrate the absolutely perfect timing in what God does.  I have to tell you he IS in control.

As we watch world events seeming to move from critical to chaotic, we Christians can rest in the peace of knowing that God has perfect timing in it all.  Man thinks he has to work it all out but just when he thinks he's got it sorted something else will happen to show that he doesn't.  We don't just do nothing, we pray earnestly for the things we see!

God is not asleep in your situation, he maybe waiting for you to hand things over to him and leave it in his hands for his purposes and his timing.  Yes, there are times when we need to act, but let's allow God to tell us when that is, and not to just assume that it's our responsibility to resolve something or make it happen. Hand your situation over to him with the confidence that he has it in his control then you will be able to get some sleep in your storm.

Prayer:  Father, forgive me to wanting to be the fixer in situations.  Help me to see that you may have a special purpose in allowing things to happen.  Help me to commit things to you and trust you to work them out.  Amen

The Fear Factor

And all the people in that region begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear had swept over them.  Luke 8:37 (NLT)

One of the most effective weapons of Satan, our arch enemy, is fear, and in Christian circles we probably don't address 'the fear factor' often enough.  We need to bring things into the light and take a look at them in different ways so we don't get 'the wool pulled over our eyes'.

In this story in Luke 8 we see Jesus arriving by boat in the area of the Gadarenes and being immediately confronted with  a very demon possessed man. He works an amazing miracle of deliverance on him the result of which, for the man, was great joy, and a desire to follow Jesus.  On the other hand, the people in the region were overcome with 'a great wave of fear' and they begged Jesus to depart from them.

What were they afraid of?  After all hadn't they been afraid of the mad man who had run naked among the tombs? Now that threat had gone you would think they would be pleased.  No way!  They just saw Jesus as a threat to their livelihood because a herd of pigs had been 'sacrificed' in the course of the deliverance (read the story).  In begging Jesus to depart and leave them to their 'safe and comfortable' environment they were robbing themselves and their community of a much greater  blessing through the teaching and ministry of Jesus.

How often do we deny Jesus entrance into a part of our life because we fear that he will make changes that we won't like, or ask us to do something we feel we are not able to do, or we think he will deny us things that we really, really want?   When we do that we are operating in fear and doing the same as these Gadarenes did.  We are actually depriving ourselves of great blessing because Jesus  said that he came so that we might have the best kind of life (John 10:10).  He also promised to give us grace to do whatever he asks of us (2 Corinthians 12:9) and he will help us (Hebrews 13:6).  Jesus came to show us exactly what God, our Father, is like, loving, affirming, safe, able to be trusted, willing to give His very life for us?  Why do we believe Satan's lies that He only wants to deprive or harm us?

Why do we fear?  Because we lack faith.  When the disciples were fearful in the storm on the lake Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith (Matthew 8:26).  Fear is the opposite of faith, there is no way around it.  Faith and fear cannot exist together, one has to go.  You get to choose which one you will entertain.  If you find yourself fearful you need to read your Bible and get to know the One who is faithful and true and will protect you as you put your trust in Him. Then step out of the boat!

As we see all kinds of terrible things happening in our world we have an opportunity to exercise our faith in God who is still the creator and sustainer of all things and in whom all things hold together.  Our times are in his hands, his control, and that gives me peace.  I pray you will escape the clutches of fear and put your faith in your wonderful heavenly Father.

Daniel 11:32b says, "..the people who know their God shall be strong and do exploits." They know Him by personal experience, that He can be trusted so they put their trust in Him. Do you know Him?

Prayer:  Father God, you long to see me walk in faith, trusting in you as I face the challenges of life and not turn away from you in fear.  Help me to return to the trust that a child has toward a good earthly Father.  Amen

Success or Failure?

Master, we have fished all night and haven't caught anything, but because you say so I will let down the nets. Luke 5:5

As I meditated on this story of the huge catch the disciples  took after Jesus had used their boat as a teaching platform, a funny scene that came back to mind.  It's from the madcap comedy Knight & Day where Tom Cruise is on the run.  Somehow Cameron Diaz gets caught up with him and at one crucial moment Tom calls on her to make a choice; to join the run with this crazy guy (and probably escape the other crazies who were after them) or whether to leave him to his adventures and hope to escape with her life.  In this funny scene Tom gesticulates the possibility of her life expectancy with him or without him to her saying "With me (raises his hand high indicating she will do well with him), without me"' (lowers his hand). He says, "With me, without me, with me, without me?"  She chooses to go with him through a crazy chase and, of course escapes with her life.

The story of the disciples reminds me of the success or failure we choose whether we choose to do it with Jesus or without Him.  They had been fishing all night and caught nothing, Jesus borrows their boat then, in payment, tells them to launch out into the deep, which they do, and catch a huge and unexpected haul.  In the time after Jesus' resurrection we read of a similar story.  Peter decided to go fishing, reverting to the thing that he knew how to do on his own.  The others went with him.  Again they fished all night and caught nothing, but when Jesus (though they didn't recognise it was He),  called to them from the shore asking if they had caught anything they admitted that they had not.  He called out, "Let your net down on the right side of the boat and you will get a catch,"(John 21).  They did as he said and made a huge haul.  Immediately John recognised it was Jesus and impulsive Peter jumped out of the boat and headed for the shore and his beloved Friend and Master.

You see a Peter knew that with Jesus, people got healed, fed and encouraged and nets got filled supernaturally.  When we try to carry out God's tasks in our own strength (without Him), things don't go nearly as well as they do if we do them with Him.  God never meant us to operate alone.  He always planned that He would be our source of strength, help and supply.  Dependence upon Him is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of maturity and spiritual wisdom.

Is there something you are doing at the moment, something you are trying to make happen in your time and strength?  Perhaps you are getting frustrated because nothing seems to be working. Why not re-evaluate and ask your Heavenly Father if He'd like to be involved.  The Bible tells us in Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord and he will bring it to pass."  It may not be in your timing or in quite the way you expected but He is faithful when we entrust our stuff to Him.

With Him, without Him. Your choice!

Prayer:  Father, please show me when I go off doing my own thing without consulting you.  Forgive me when I do it in my ministry too and things become a burden because I don't hitch up to your yoke which can make my burden so much lighter and tasks more fruitful.  Help me to recognise the signs quickly when I get off track.  Amen