Wednesday Worship~Walk on the Water

So what are you waiting for? Believe in the One who said, "Come!" Praying a walk of faith for you today!

Monday Meditation~Will You Walk On Water?



Matthew 14:25-33 (NIV)

 

During the fourth watch of the night

Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

When the disciples saw Him walking

on the lake, they were terrified.

"It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them;

"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Lord, if it's You," Peter replied, "tell

me to come to You on the water."

"Come," He said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat,

walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,

beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.

"You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?"

 

Has Jesus called out to you to "Come" in some matter? Will you "Take courage" and believe Him to reach out His hand of help to you? Will you trust Him to give you the strength, provision, and capability to walk in the way He called you? Let's be faith walkers and see where He takes us!

 

Praying great faith for you today!

Monday Meditation~Worth the Wait

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:25 (NIV)

Waiting.

It's just not easy.

And not very much fun.

Patience is not our forte. And we know better than to pray for it.

We are a fast food, quick fix, instant gratification generation.

But waiting is a fact of life.

And it has been since the beginning of time...well since just after the beginning of time.

Think back to Noah...waiting for the flood...then for the waters to recede so that he could get off that boat! Yes, he, Mrs. Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives endured the travails. In faith.

Then there was Abraham...waiting for the descendant from whom generations would come and be blessed. Sarah, by his side, laughing part of the way. But pressing on. In faith.

We come from a long line of waiters...faithful ones...not perfect, but persistent...Moses, Joseph, Job (renowned for his patience), David, the list goes on and on. So many who waited. For God's will. For God's way.

We must follow in their footsteps. Trusting the One Who knows us, Who knows our circumstances, and Who knows the outcome. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

Because of faith, we can believe that it will be worth the wait.

Lord, thank You for Your Word that gives testimony of Your faithfulness throughout the generations. Thank You for Your sovereignty. Thank You for Your wisdom. Thank You for Your love that knows no bounds.Father help us to trust You as we wait, knowing that You work all things for our good.

Monday Meditation~What Do You Hope For?

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)


Maturity and Bible translations make a difference.

I distinctly remember memorizing Hebrews 11:1 in my high school days, clinging to it as a beacon of hope. I can't put my hands on my Living Bible right this minute, but I can picture those words highlighted in neon yellow. As I recall, it said something like "Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen." Hmmm. For a teenager the implication might not be what the author intended.

Other translations say that faith is the substance or assurance of things hoped for.

I just have to wonder how many people grab onto that verse regarding random "hopes". (Hoping that you get something really nice for your birthday...hoping you don't have something green in your teeth...hoping you get to meet Scotty McCreery) Is that worthy of being called faith? Feel free to ponder that on your own. That's really what Monday Meditation is designed for. smile.

Is an "in accordance with God's will" implied after the "what we hope for"?

In my Quest Study Bible, which includes "articles" beneath passages offering further explanation, I found this insight to be interesting. "The writer of Hebrews expressed faith in two directions: faith toward future things (what we hope for) and faith toward invisible things (what we do not see). When we are certain God is in control of these areas (and we live like He is in control), that's faith." Parentheses not mine. smile.

I pray that my "hopes" are in accordance with and yielding to His will and that my faith toward future things and those things I can't see is pleasing to Him.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Happy Monday!

Where Is Your Focus?

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."  1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)

I fail miserably at videography.  Really miserably.

My first major film disaster was a few years back when I hoped to capture the hatching of some killdeer birds in my backyard.  I'll put it this way.  There was lots of footage of mulch and the flapping lens cap...like 10 long minutes or so.  Never even found the nest...with the camera, that is.

Most recently, my talents were tried once again as I attempted to capture the essence of the homes that my daughter and son-in-law were scoping out in hopes of joining the forces of mortgage payers.  My hubby was unable to be with us and...well...every Daddy wants to be in on the action.  Hence the video.

Okay, so first of all, you should know that a Flip camera doesn't really mean that you can flip it in any direction and the picture will be upright on your computer.

And it's really good if you note whether the red button is pushed or not. And that you're filming what you mean to film and not your shoes or the stairs or the rear end of the person going up in front of you.

We almost needed Dramamine to watch...and couldn't even see much of the house.

The video may only be worthy of deletion.

However, the lesson I observed will remain.

I spent way too much time focused on the little...really little...screen in front of me.  And I missed the BIG picture.  There was so much that I didn't even see!

I think that maybe God clapped and said, "Ah!  She's got it!" as the spiritual application struck me almost immediately.

While we're trapped in this earthly tent, we can only see what's playing out on the tiny screen of our lives.  He sees so much more.  And we have to trust Him for the unseen.  That's faith.  "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

And He's got a good plan...one to prosper us and not to harm us.  He is molding us into the likeness of Himself, shaping us with purpose.  "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."  1 John 3:2  And then we'll view the widest screen version...and understand.

Lord, as the father in Mark 9:4 cried out, we believe!  Help us in our unbelief.  Help us to trust You, knowing that You hold the future in Your hands.  Thank You for calling us Your children.  We love You.