Rough Seas

Immediately after this Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home........Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray.  Night fell while he was there alone.  Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from the land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.  About 3 o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water.  .......... And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.  Matthew 14:22-32 NLT Selected

Jesus had just fed 5,000 men plus women and children with five loaves of bread and 2 fish.  An amazing miracle of multiplication which the disciples took part in.  Then Jesus urged them to head for home and leave him some space for prayer.  Did he know that he was sending them out alone into a lake that would threaten to drown them?  I guess he did!

While he prayed, the disciples began to have a hard time with the wind whipping the waves up.  The going got very tough and then suddenly they see a ghost (they thought), out on the water.  Could this be an omen of coming death?  Grown men started to scream in terror... I can't imagine what they said!  But then comes a reassuring, familiar voice that says, "It's all right. I am here! Don't be afraid."(vs 27).

Peter then calls to Jesus, "If it's really you, call me to come to you walking on the water."  What on earth possessed him do make such a request?  I believe it was the Holy Spirit.  Why?  Because from this story we gather such a fund of information for faith teaching.  This would not be the last time Peter would act so impulsively but I believe God loved it!  He loved Peter's boldness.  Yes he knew he'd have to save him from the waves but he was okay with that.

What struck me afresh as I read this story was the fact that although Jesus came to them in the midst of their storm. He let them struggle for awhile, he didn't just appear in the boat and the storm was stilled. He allowed Peter to step into a storm that was far bigger than he could handle Jesus didn't still the waves for him as he stepped out of the boat and he didn't rescue them all until they called to him. But he was there, nearby, ready to come into the boat when invited.

When we go through 'rough seas' in our lives, Jesus is always nearby, watching, monitoring the circumstances.  He says to us, "It's all right. It's me."  I believe He allows the rough seas to come up in our lives to test us, to prove us and to make us stronger.  Sometimes the things that happen are so painful and we think we can't go on again, but he says, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."  It is up to us to invite him into our rocking boat and it's then that the waves are stilled. 

Does this mean that the storm in our life disappears? Often not, but the very presence of the One who stills the storm, calms the inner storm that takes place and the situation takes on a new perspective.  James tells us "Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." (James 1:1-3)This is not an easy thing to do but the secret to being able to let it be an opportunity for joy is in allowing yourself to see that it is an opportunity for growth, and inviting Jesus into your situation and 'ride' along with you.   

Our children have to take some falls in life as they learn to walk.  They have to take knocks throughout their growing up but, handled correctly, these cause a strength of character to arise.  It is often a great temptation for parents to rescue their children from difficulties so they don't have to feel the pain, but it is good if we can take our cue from Jesus and stand by and pray that they learn the lessons that will equip them to handle life when we are not around.  If we rescue them they won't learn to cry out to Jesus and invite him into their 'boat'.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you that you are always nearby in the storms of our life.  Some storms are the consequences of our own poor choices, but other storms are permitted by you to do a work of grace in our lives.  No matter what the cause, please help me to learn the lesson, see the purpose and walk through the storm with you close to me.  Amen

Now is the time....... To Listen

When you hear the sound like marching feet in the tops of the balsam trees, attack!  That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistines. 1 Chronicles 14:15

Are you waiting to make a move of some sort but are not sure of the timing?  As I read this chapter today I was again impressed at David's wisdom in going to the Lord for direction.  On one occasion at the beginning of his reign when the Philistines came against him the Lord told David to go and he would win the battle.  Next time when the Philistines came against him David did not just go ahead and run right into battle assuming that God would deliver him the same way again.  Instead he again prayed and asked the Lord, "What do I do?"  This time God's answer was a little different, "Do not attack them straight on, circle round and wait for the sound...." (vs 14 & 15). 

When we are making a move of any kind we should always be asking God for his wisdom and way of doing it, and his timing.  That is the secret of success and the protection from great frustration or failure.  It seems easy and obvious but very often we just barge ahead and think that because it has worked one way for us at one time, then it will work the same way the next time.  Not so! 

The reason for this can be because God wants to grow and mature us and show us new ways of doing things, or he wants us to learn to wait and listen for his way of doing it and the right timing.  It is so easy for us to depend upon our own past experiences but when we rely on 'old methods', we are missing out on God's best.  It is also important when God shows us that it's time to move, that we move, and don't miss the right timing. In being slow to act we can miss out of the full blessing or benefit of what God planned for us.

There is another aspect to listening that is important.  I find that in our fast changing world that it's easy to feel a bit out of touch with things, but, if we remain tuned into God, it will not be an issue, because our God is an eternal and wise God.  That means he is a NOW God; there is no time with him and his wisdom is always there for today.  He sees the world as it was at the beginning of creation and he sees it today - all in the present tense; and he is not phased by it at all.  He is still at the helm overall.  It doesn't mean that he likes all that he sees. Neither does it mean that we have to feel we need to be 'up with everything' in technology to remain useful in the body of Christ.  The secret to remaining relevant in today's society and in his church is to remain tuned into 'the sound in the treetops'...... his Spirit speaking today's word for us and those whose lives we are to influence.  His wisdom is never out-dated, we just have to keep our 'downloads' from him current.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you that you are a TODAY God.  Help me to stay tuned into you today for the wisdom I need to live life in the fullness of your blessing and obedience.  Amen

Now is the time.... To Hold the Ball

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

As we watched the nail-biting finish of the Rugby World Cup which the All Blacks won by just 1 point, I was interested in the tactic used to hold the ball in the scrum for the last 2 or 3 minutes and gradually just edge little by little towards their own end of the field. It worked and though the ball was not being played it remained in their hands (or feet) until the final whistle blew and victory was assured.

This spoke to me about our Christian life. Sometimes we are faced with situations that challenge us so much that we almost lose our way. Sometimes the battle is long and hard, and after an initial spurt of "running with the ball" and making good ground, we become weary and discouraged and want to give up. It seems that this battle cannot be won; the enemy whispers in our ear, "You're done, you can't win this one." And you believe him. You are tempted to just give up and throw it all in and settle for comfort. If you do that, the battle is over and lost.

I wonder how many times David was tempted to stop running from King Saul and just settle down in some safe place, or just let Saul kill him in battle. But he knew God had anointed him to be King over Israel. He would replace the disobedient Saul, but in God's timeframe, not David's. He was tempted a couple of times to take matters into his own hands and kill the king and take his place, but he refused to take control, instead letting God be the One to put him into leadership. In the meantime - his training time - his job was to 'hold the ball' and keep pressing toward the mark, stopping the enemy from taking ground, and being prepared to take the victory when it was granted. That is our challenge too!



Prayer:Heavenly Father, please give me your grace to continue to press in and press on towards the prize of the high calling you have ordained for me. Let me not be weary or faint in battle so that I may finish my race for your glory. Amen

Now is the time to...... De-Stress

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Philippians 4:6 The Message

We had to consult a horticulturalist recently, concerning a plant in our garden. Not only had it dropped a lot of its fine, lush leaves but we also discovered that it had squishy growths on a lot of the lower branches. Instead of being a lovely lush ball of green foliage, you could now see through the bottom of the plant. I carefully bagged a piece of branch with its odd growth and took it to the native plant nursery for diagnosis.

The lady looked at it and proclaimed, "This plant is stressed. Something is bothering it that has caused it to lose a lot of leaves and now it's become vulnerable to scale!" "Oh," we replied, "Now what do we do?" She told us to spray it with white oil, give it some native plant fertiliser and water it well and it should recover. (That reminds me, I forgot to do the white oil!) Now we watch and wait to see what happens.

Isn't it interesting that plants can suffer from stress, just like we humans do. Stress takes its toll on plants, taking away their attractiveness, makes them vulnerable to disease and stunting healthy growth. Did you notice that it does the same to us. Just observe people in the shops, on the street or where you work; you can often tell the ones who have a lot of stress in their lives. Their bodies show it, especially the expression on their faces and drooping shoulders. Some are rude and cranky, some eat a lot and gain weight when they are stressed, others fade away to a shadow.

Stress is ugly and it affects our health. In fact many years ago I read that more than 90% of diseases have their root cause in stress. God knows the adverse effects of stress, and I believe that is why the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write those words, "don't fret or worry". Instead we are to pray.... give our concerns to God and trust him to work things out. Don't allow yourself to be open to sickness by worrying. This verse in Philippians 4 goes on to say, (when you let God know your concerns) ..."Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life."

We can allow stress into our lives in many ways; some things that will help to minimize or de-stress our lives are: spend time with God daily and read His word; pray and give him your concerns; allow Him to set your schedule and order your day, let Him walk with you throughout the day; keep your boundaries in place and don't allow others to 'guilt' you into doing things that you don't feel you need to do; make time for your family and friends and take time to relax. Above all, eat properly and regularly and get good rest; a poor diet and lack of sleep will stress your body. Remember too, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, you are its guardian. Guard it well. If you need any more encouragement, remember Jesus' words "Come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I've worried and not allowed you to carry my concerns. Help me to pray and trust you to work out the things that I worry about. Help me to live my life in such a way that it brings glory and praise to you and demonstrates the benefits of the Christian life to others. Amen

Now is the time..... To Freshen Up

Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

My Mum-in-law and I used to have a laugh about spring cleaning because years ago she had a young women in her office who was in secretarial training. One Friday the girl asked conversationally, "Are you doing anything special this weekend?" "Yes", said Mum, "I'm going to spring clean." "Oh really," said the girl, "My mum never spring cleans, she keeps her house clean all the time!"

I have to admit that I have never been one to spring clean, but there are times when I need to go the extra mile in the cleaning run and do some things that don't get done regularly. Last year we had friends coming to 'house sit' while we were away in the summer and it amazed me how many things I saw that needed to be spruced up before they arrived. My pantry even got sorted!

Ideally we should keep our spiritual 'house' in order all the time, but have you noticed that you can get a bit 'cobwebby' at times? Perhaps you don't feel as close to him as you used to. Some years back there was a bumper sticker that said, "If you don't feel close to God, guess who moved!" The truth is that God is always there for us but sometimes our hearts condemn us and we don't draw near to him. Perhaps we have allowed a habit or an attitude to creep in; we know we've become critical, cynical, unloving or unbelieving because of life's circumstances. Maybe you've neglected regular Bible reading and prayer or fellowship with other believers. The lack of spiritual discipline will allow dirt, mould and cobwebs to accumulate in your spiritual life. You will lose your freshness and joy because you will not be in tune with your Lord.

If this is you, then it's time to freshen up; do some spring cleaning, regain some lost ground and get back on track because Jesus said, ".....stay awake and be prepared because you do not know the day or the hour of my return." Matthew 25:13.

Prayer: Search my heart God, show me the areas that you see need to be freshened up. Help me to keep my heart clean so I am prepared for your return at any time. Amen

Now is the time..... To Test Your Hearing

....that is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see, they hear what I say but they don't really hear, and they don't understand. Matthew 13:13 NLT


This past week Colin has been grappling with a blocked ear so has often been saying, "Sorry, what did you say?" We make jokes about 'domestic deafness" but sadly it is a reality. In our house we both have moments of not hearing what the other is saying (even when there are no blocked ears). It can be very frustrating when you know you've conveyed some information, instruction or request and it wasn't heard. Jesus ran into the problem of people not hearing the essence of what he was saying and he talks about it when he discusses the parable of the sower with his disciples.


There is something that counsellors call 'active listening' which is really the same as intentional listening. The hearer becomes an active part of the conversation by reflecting back what they have heard the person say. This shows that he is interested enough to 'digest' what is being said and also that he has heard correctly. That also means that the speaker needs to leave the listener time to reflect back. Not everyone is good at that!


The disciples were constantly with Jesus but often we read that they didn't understand what he was saying. The good thing that they did though was to stay tuned in and press him for explanations which he willingly gave. This should be a lesson for us; we need to not just read the Bible and think we've done our duty. It will only have benefit to us if we understand what we read. We should approach the word of God in the same way that the disciples related to Jesus. We should ask for understanding and revelation as we read, opening our spiritual ears to hear what God wants to convey to us. If we don't do this we will be like the people that Jesus spoke about in our verse above; we will hear but not really understand what is being said.


The other part is that we need to be obedient to any instructions that we feel God is conveying to us from our reading of the word otherwise we are only fooling ourself in our Christianity. James puts it this way in chapter 1 verses 23 - 25, "For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your apprearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law - and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (NLT)


Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me to not always hearing what you are trying to convey to me. Help me to be more diligent in pressing in for understanding of your word and obeying it. Amen

Now is the time.... To Pray for Our Nation

Pray......for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:2

No matter which nation on earth we live in, our leaders need our prayers. Even more so in the days in which we live. Some of the denominational churches which follow a set order of service are very good at following many of the calls to prayer that the Bible makes upon Christians. For others it's a bit of a 'hit or miss' thing. We remember when the government is in crisis and forget at other times. I was challenged afresh today to pray for our land and her leaders when I read in Proverbs 14:34 "Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."

We know ourselves the pressures that come to bear on society today and we need to remind ourselves that our leaders, whether on a national or local level, whether making the laws or upholding the laws; all need our prayers to be effective.

As I write, Norway is facing the challenge of dealing with a radical mass killer who calls himself a Christian. How deceived can one be? Followers of Jesus Christ do not go around killing people for ANY cause. The United States of America is facing a problem that many face on a weekly basis.... it has no money to pay its bills. By the time this blog is published I truly pray that they will have solved their problem or the whole world will have a problem! Australia's government is facing much criticism and unrest over the proposed new carbon tax. Our policemen face the challenge of unthinkable acts of violence and disobedience and the courts face the task of meting out justice. Scripture in schools is being undermined. We need to pray that this opening to tell children about a God who loves and cares for them and wants only good for their lives, is not snatched away. We need to pray for those teaching scripture in schools and for open hearts and minds for the children to believe and receive the truth.

Yes, our countries need our prayers. Will you ask God to help you remember to pray for your nation and your leaders so that we can live the lives of peace and safety that God wants for us.

Loving God, please help me to be faithful in remembering to pray for my country and her leaders and for the generation of new leaders that you want to rise up. I pray that godliness will indeed be what exalts our nation and that you will strengthen our leaders and give them integrity to rule over us in justice and truth. Amen