'...He walked on the water...to Jesus.' Matthew 14:29 NKJV
The disciples were out fishing one night when a huge storm struck. About 3am they were terrified by a figure approaching them on the water. '...Immediately Jesus spoke... Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid... Peter answered...Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You...So He said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water...to Jesus.' (Matthew 14:27-29 NKJV) This story teaches us, first, that if the Lord doesn't call us to do it, don't! There's a story about a man standing at the gates of heaven. Peter says, 'Name one great deed you've done.' The man replies, 'Well, a gang of bikers was threatening a woman so I smacked them, kicked over their bikes and ripped out their nose rings.' Impressed, Peter asks, 'When did this happen?' The man answers, 'About 30 seconds ago!' To walk on water you must learn to discern between God's voice and your own impulses. Secondly, it teaches us that to experience miracles, we must get out of our comfort zone. Exchange places with Peter. The storm is raging and he's afraid. The boat's secure and comfortable. Wouldn't you want to stay there? But you can't. God designed you to do more than simply avoid failure; He's calling you to step out in faith and accomplish things. You say, 'What's my boat?' It's anything you put your faith in when life gets stormy, like a job or a relationship. Your boat is anything that stops you from getting out of your comfort zone. Leaving it is the scariest but most rewarding step you'll ever take!
'Serve...with gladness...' Psalm 100:2 NKJV
Anything God gives you is first a gift to enjoy, then a seed to sow. Do you have a good education? Leadership ability? More money than you need? God has given you seeds, so sow them. There are basically three kinds of people: those who can't see, or refuse to see the problem; those who see the problem, but because they didn't personally create it are content to leave it to others; those who see the problem and though they didn't create it, are willing to assume responsibility for solving it. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, said, 'I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. Finally I ended up asking Him to do His work through me.' When you come to believe, really believe that service is God working through you, you'll understand that serving others is the highest calling of all. Dr William DeVries thought that way. He's the surgeon who pioneered the artificial heart, and he's the kind of doctor who shows up at the hospital on Sunday just to cheer up discouraged patients. He even changes dressings, and if a patient wants him to stick around and talk he always does. His friends say he's 'an old shoe' who fits in wherever he goes. He wears cowboy boots with his surgical scrubs and repairs hearts to the music of Vivaldi. 'He's always got a smile lurking,' says his friend Dr Robert Goodin, 'and he's always looking for a way to let it out.' The truth is, 'arriving' is not a place where others serve you but where you serve them 'with gladness'.
'...Go...tell his disciples...especially Peter...' Mark 16:7 CEV
Max Lucado writes, 'I'd read the passage a hundred times, but never seen it. Maybe I'd passed over it in the excitement of the resurrection...the women's surprise when they find the stone moved...that beautiful phrase by the angel He is not here, He is risen. But go a bit further...and enjoy this jewel...Go...tell his disciples, especially Peter that he will go ahead of you to Galilee... All of heaven had watched Peter fall, and wanted to help him get back up. Be sure and tell Peter he's not left out...one failure doesn't make him a flop... Not many second chances in the world today...ask the kid who didn't make the little league team...the mother of three who got dumped for a pretty little thing... Nowadays it's Around here we don't tolerate incompetence or Not much room at the top or Three strikes and you're out or It's a dog-eat-dog-world!... Jesus has a simple answer...Be sure to tell Peter he gets to bat again. It's not every day you get a second chance. Peter must have known that. The next time he saw Jesus he got so excited that...he jumped into...the Sea of Galilee! It was also enough...to cause this backwoods Galilean to carry the Gospel of the second chance to Rome where they killed him. If you've ever wondered what would make a man willing to be crucified upside down, maybe now you know. It's not every day you find someone who'll give you a second chance-much less someone who'll give you a second chance every day. In Jesus Peter found both.' And you will too!
'...Gideon...crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit.' Judges 8:4 NKJV
Are you thinking of quitting? You believed you could make a difference until they poured criticism and cold water on you. At that point you decided it was easier to adjust your expectations to their opinion and just keep smiling. Don't do it; God has too much invested in you! The comfort zone is for those who are exempt from pain but denied progress; protected from failure but held in the grip of mediocrity. Get up and get out of there while you still can: '...strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die...' (Revelation 3:2 NKJV) Open your Bible and begin to fill your mind with God's promises; they're powerful motivators. Pray, believing God for great things. Plug in at church. Rekindle your desire, for ultimately that's what determines your destiny! Jesus suffered the loss of His disciples, His friends, and even His clothes (John 19:23-24). But they couldn't rob Him of '...the joy that was set before Him...' (Hebrews 12:2 NKJV) Even while He was dying He continued to minister. Then He went into hell, came out with the lock and keys and announced, 'I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore...' (Revelation 1:18 NKJV) And He is your example! When Gideon fought the Midianites we read that he '...came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit.' Because Gideon refused to let the Jordan River intimidate him, or fatigue stop him, God gave him a great victory! And He will do the same for you.
'...Jesus said...Get up!...' John 5:8 NIV
At the pool of Bethesda Jesus was drawn to a man who'd been physically incapacitated for 38 years and couldn't walk. That's a long time to wait for things to change. Many of us would have given up. 'When Jesus...asked...Do you want to get well?... [he] replied, I have no one to help me... While I am trying to get in, someone else goes...ahead of me. Then Jesus said...Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' (vv. 6-8 NIV) How do you see yourself? As a helpless victim? Wendy Blight says, 'I lived like that...for a decade. At 21 I was raped by a masked stranger hiding in my apartment. Before that I loved life. I'd just completed college...graduated with honors...become engaged to a wonderful man...and had an amazing job waiting for me... My attacker's...act shattered my hopes and dreams. I lived in a prison of fear and despair. Then I encountered Christ... the words He spoke...pierced my soul. I...was the man on that mat (John 5:8)...accustomed to my place of sorrow... I enjoyed being the victim...I was comfortable. The Bible says, '...The Word of God is living and active...it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart' (Hebrews 4:12 NIV) and it spoke personally to me. I knew I needed to take the first step. I surrendered my fear, pity, and grief... I learned God had a plan for my life and a purpose for my pain. However, I'd never see it until I had the courage to get up and walk.' If you're on the mat...open God's Word. Let Him speak...promises of hope and healing. Before you can get off the mat, you must surrender your fear, self-pity, and despair. Will you do it?
'...Find favor...in the sight of God and man.' Proverbs 3:4 NKJV
God can give you favor in the most unusual places and through the most unlikely people. Joseph's journey to the throne of Egypt involved being unjustly accused and thrown in prison. Now the prospects of an ex-con becoming your next Prime Minister are not good-unless, like Joseph, God is writing your story. '...Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. So he put them...in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined.' (Genesis 40:2-3 NKJV) While they were there Joseph interpreted a dream for both men, and in each case what he said came to pass. So Joseph's gift became known. Later when Pharaoh was troubled by a dream that none of his counselors could interpret, the butler remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. At this point Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dream, helps him to prepare for seven years of coming famine, and is rewarded with being made the number two man in the country. At last, Joseph's dream came to pass. But notice who God used to fulfill it: a baker and a butler. Spiritually speaking, God can use bakers to bless you because they know the ingredients required to make the cake. Some of the stuff they use, such as salt, flour and baking soda, doesn't taste very good, but the finished product is delicious. God can use butlers because they're experienced in knowing how to open the door at the right time. Are you getting the idea? Keep your mind open and stay sensitive to God, for He will give you favor in the most unusual places and through the most unlikely people.
'...I have called you friends...' John 15:15 NKJV
Another step in developing your friendship with God is choosing to be honest with Him! God doesn't expect you to be perfect, but He does expect you to be honest. If perfection was a requirement not one of us would qualify. In the Bible, God's friends were honest about their feelings-sometimes even complaining and arguing with Him-yet He didn't seem to mind. In fact, He encouraged it. God listened patiently to David's accusations of unfairness, betrayal and abandonment. He didn't zap Jeremiah for claiming God had tricked him. Job was allowed to vent his bitterness and God actually defended him for being honest. On the other hand, He rebuked Job's friends for faking it: '...I am angry with you... because you did not speak the truth about Me, the way...Job did. Job will pray for you, and I will answer his prayer...' (Job 42:7-8 GNT) To be God's friend you must share your true feelings with Him, not what you think you ought to feel or say. Until you understand that God uses everything for good in our lives, you'll harbor resentment towards Him over your looks, your nationality, your economic background, your unanswered prayers, your past hurts, and the things you'd change if you were God. Actually, revealing your feelings and releasing your resentments to Him are the first steps to becoming spiritually whole. Isn't it encouraging to know that God's closest friends felt just like we do but, instead of masking their feelings in pious cliché, they voiced them openly? Why? Because expressing them leads to healing and a deeper level of intimacy with Him.
'...I have called you friends...' John 15:15 NKJV
Friendship with God is maintained and strengthened through continual meditation. It's impossible to be God's friend apart from knowing what He says. You can't love God unless you know Him, and that's only possible through the Bible. '...He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word.' (1 Samuel 3:21 NIV) Now you can't spend all day studying the Bible, but you can think about it throughout the day, recalling verses you've read, mulling over them in your mind. Meditation isn't some mysterious ritual, it's simply focused thinking-a skill anybody can learn. When you think about a problem over and over, that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over, that's called meditation. If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. Just switch your attention from the problem to the solution! The more you meditate on God's Word the less you'll have to worry about. The more time you spend meditating on the Scriptures the more you'll understand their secrets. The Psalmist said, 'The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.' (Psalm 25:14 ESV) After Jesus told His disciples, '...I have called you friends...', He went on to say, '...I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.' (John 15:16 NKJV) The benefits of friendship with God include abundant living and answered prayer. So if you want to become God's friend, read, digest and meditate in His Word.
'Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.' James 1:4 NKJV
Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't, or that God has changed His mind. While you are waiting-God is working. The timing may not be right for Him to get the ultimate glory and you the ultimate benefit. That's why James writes: 'Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.' Impatience is a sign of immaturity. Have you noticed that children can't wait for anything? But a wise parent knows what's best. God sets His watch to accomplish His purpose, not ours. Paul writes: 'We know that all things work...according to His purpose.' (See Romans 8:28). When you clearly understand God's purpose you won't permit things that are contrary to it, including hurry and worry. You'll also know how to allocate your time, your effort and your money-where to go and where not to go. God says, 'I make known the end from the beginning.' (Isaiah 46:10 NIV) First God sets the goal, then He determines the steps that lead to it. And what are we supposed to do while we are waiting? Listen: 'Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.' (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV) Begin praising the Lord today for what He's going to do for you-because He absolutely will come through for you!
'...To bestow...beauty instead of ashes...' Isaiah 61:3 NIV
The Chinese have an interesting symbol for the word 'crisis'; it indicates both danger and opportunity. When the stakes are high and the outcome in doubt, purpose can emerge from pain like beauty from ashes. But real healing can't begin until you face the facts and express your pain. That means doing what David did: taking it to God. 'How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?' (Psalm 13:2 NIV) Just as lancing a boil is a necessary first step to healing, facing the truth is the first step towards becoming whole. Those who grow through a crisis learn which hopes, dreams and expectations were violated by the event. They identify where the repair work is needed, then they develop a road map for the future. At first you will feel as if 'nothing will ever be the same again'. That's normal. You may have to make adjustments in how you work, where you spend your leisure time, and how you relate to your family and friends. It's the nature of a crisis to destabilize your world. But it also forces you to reach deep within yourself and find hidden strength you didn't know existed. You may not feel courageous or hopeful right now, but that doesn't mean those things aren't there waiting to be tapped. Even though you don't feel strong today, you can draw strength from the One who is. 'The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God...in Whom I will trust...' (Psalm 18:2 AMP) Face it. Find God in it. Follow Him, and He will give you a better tomorrow.
'...Turn...me, and I shall be turned...' Jeremiah 31:18 KJV
If you are tired of feeling like a victim, read this it is powerful and may just empower you: 'I don't want to feel this way anymore. I thought if my pain touched their lives I'd feel better. I didn't. I thought by holding it over their heads I'd feel better. I didn't. I thought by telling everyone what they'd done to me I'd feel better. I didn't; it only cost me friends and kept the pain alive. I thought if they acknowledged how wrong they've been I'd feel better. It didn't. I thought if I could understand why I pick such relationships I'd feel better. So I read books and talked with counselors. But that didn't work, because then I uncovered other issues I didn't have the emotional energy to deal with. I thought time would make me feel better. It helped, but it didn't heal, because there were still too many things that triggered old memories. I thought by moving to a new house in a new city and getting a new job I'd feel better. I didn't; I only changed addresses, not what was going on inside me. Finally, I did two things that worked; not overnight, but gradually, patiently, consistently as I kept doing them, they worked. First, I decided to forgive-and keep forgiving until the past no longer controlled me. Secondly, I cried out to God, Turn...me, and I shall be turned. He answered my prayer. My perceptions began to clear and my heart began to heal. Why? Because at last, getting well meant more, so much more to me than remaining a victim.'
'...Live...as temporary residents on earth...' 1 Peter 1:17 GWT
The fact that this world is not our ultimate home explains why we experience difficulty, disappointment and rejection. It also explains why some promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers unanswered, and some circumstances unfair. This life is not the end of the story! In order to keep us from becoming too attached to this world, God allows us to feel a certain amount of discontent-longings that will never be fulfilled this side of Heaven. We're not completely happy here because we're not supposed to be! Indeed, we won't be in Heaven two seconds before we'll look around and say, 'Why did I place such importance on earthly things?' The truth is, at death you don't leave home, you go home! Imagine being an ambassador in a hostile nation. You would have to learn its language and adapt to its customs. You couldn't isolate yourself. To fulfill your mission you'd have to understand what's going on and know how to relate to those around you. But what if you fell in love with that country, preferring it to your own? Your loyalty and commitment would be compromised. Instead of representing your country, you'd start acting like a traitor. The Bible says, '...We are Christ's ambassadors...' (2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT) So don't get too attached to what's around you, because it's temporary. 'Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.' (1 Corinthians 7:31 NLT) So use it, maximize it to fulfill God's purposes, but don't fall in love with it!
'...Everyone who loves is born of God...' 1 John 4:7 NKJV
Recently, a 12-year-old boy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hanged himself. Why? Because the next day was his first day at a new school, he was overweight, and he dreaded being taunted by other children. Few things are more painful than shame. One of the greatest kindnesses we can show others is to take away their false shame through love and acceptance. When the disciples met a man who was blind from birth they asked Jesus, '...Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?' (John 9:2 NLT) They weren't concerned that the man needed help or that he'd spent his life in total darkness. No, they started discussing his shortcomings-right in front of him! It's easier to label people than love them. We label things because we think we know what's inside, and we label people for the same reason. We'd rather debate homosexuality than befriend someone who's gay, condemn divorce than help its victims, argue about abortion than support an orphanage, or gripe about social services than help the poor. Jesus didn't see this blind man as a victim of fate, he saw him as an opportunity waiting to happen. He said to His disciples, '...This happened so the power of God can be seen in him.' (John 9:3 NLT) If you don't love people, you don't love God; actually, you don't even know Him! You need to pray, 'Lord, remind me today that the greatest gift I have to give others is Your love.' When you get serious and begin to pray that way, people will open up to God's help and healing.
