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I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
The book of Matthew tells the story of the time Jesus and his disciples got into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. As they were crossing a furious storm blew in and threatened to break the boat apart. The terrified disciples tried everything they could do to save the boat and themselves but the situation grew worse.
In the midst of their terror they noticed Jesus sound asleep in the back of the boat. While they were frantically trying to save their lives, Jesus was sleeping soundly like a baby! He was completely oblivious to what was going on around him.
The disciples woke Jesus up and asked Him if he cared that they were about to die. Some may question whether ‘ask’ is the right word here. It’s likely that the combination of fear, frustration and the noise of the wind made their ask more like a yell. Perhaps even a scream!
Jesus woke from his sleep and calmed the storm with a single word. Jesus questions the men about why they are afraid, but it is their lack of faith that seems to bother Jesus more. His reaction teaches us a valuable lesson; one which, if we could learn it and practice it, would change our lives. The disciples fear was a secondary reaction. It was their lack of faith that was the primary concern. If they had believed, truly believed who Jesus was they would have been enjoying the thrill ride that He had provided them!
The Psalmist writes, “I sought the Lord and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” We aren’t told exactly what brought David to his knees in earnest prayer. However, his request was apparently NOT that the danger would pass. He prayed and the answer came; the answer was the removal of fear!
There are many things which make us afraid in life. Debt, war, natural disasters, relational issues, politics, health issues and many more. But there are many wealthy people who fear financial disaster and many poor people who are quite content with their condition. There are many people with terminal illness that are more at ease with life than healthy people who fear getting cancer!
Fear doesn’t always have a direct correlation to the calamity that besets us. We can live in the most adverse situations and not be afraid or in despair if our hearts and minds are set on Jesus and His love for us. If we truly believe that Jesus loves us and protects us, then there is nothing on this earth that we need fear.
PRAYER: Holy God, I worship you for being the all-powerful, all-knowing creator/sustainer of the universe. I confess to you the things that make me afraid today. In my heart I know you have all things in control but my mind constantly tries to steal my faith and replace it with fear. I ask that your Holy Spirit would keep me from worry or fear. Help me in my darkest most fearful hour to sleep in the back of the boat as you did. Amen.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
There is nothing more majestic than an eagle soaring high above the clouds, circling, gliding and looking for its next meal. There isn’t much more exciting than to watch it quietly and swiftly dive from the sky and scoop up its dinner. Eagles give us a picture of strength, wisdom and majesty.
The Bible tells us that as we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ we will grow stronger. Our strength will be renewed. The Eagle renews its strength every few years by growing new feathers. These new feathers give even an old eagle the strength it needs to soar above the clouds. He is like a young eagle ready for the challenges of his day.
Our strength, our new feathers so to speak, comes from trusting God. Trust isn’t something you put on like a shirt. It’s not something you decide to pray for and get the next day. Trust doesn’t come through a certain prayer, a certain denomination, or a certain religious tradition.
Trust doesn’t come from activity, even good activity such as going to church, reading the Bible or going to Bible Study. These activities help you learn about God and grow closer to him in relationship. But it doesn’t give you ‘trust.’ Trusting in the Lord only comes as we go through adversity and trials and see that He is faithful in renewing us on a daily basis.
Don’t put your faith and hope in man-made solutions or quick fixes. On a daily basis ask God to renew your strength and help you to grow to trust Him in everything you do.
PRAYER: Holy God and Heavenly Father. I’m tired. Rather that flying with the eagles I feel like I’m grounded. Too weak to soar. To weak to even fly. Help me to trust you more. I ask that you would empower me through your Holy Spirit to learn to trust you more and to be renewed to face the challenges of each new day with strength I get from you. Amen.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5
I often wonder what it would have been like to see Jesus during the days He walked on earth as a human being. I imagine that I would most likely have been like many who lived with Him on a daily basis. My human eyes would have been blinded to who He really was. There are so many of the disciples that remind me of myself.
Even so, He must have been an incredible character to watch. Compassionate and understanding enough to kneel before children in order to meet them on their level even though He was the creator God of the universe! But that position of awesome authority and power meant nothing to Him.
To see Him in the crowd, with the throng pressing against Him, yet being so aware of each person that He noticed when the woman who was bleeding (emotionally as well as physically) touched Him. To realize that even today, in the midst of the crowd, He notices my pain, my agony, my incurable condition (sin).
In the midst of unthinkable agony, as parents struggled to find answers when their children were sick or had died, to be able to reach out and with a single touch not only heal the child but heal the wound in the heart and soul of the mom and dad. Even though He himself wasn’t a parent, He had the heart of one.
When the crowd misunderstood Him, and the religious fanatics tried to defame Him. He knew who He was, yet not once did He lash back in anger and hate towards individuals. He always responded with truth and honesty. He was so secure in knowing who He was that the verbal, physical and emotional attacks leveled against Him had no effect. He responded in love.
When His friends never seemed to ‘get it’; when they argued over who was greatest. Imagine that! Playing the ‘I’m better than you’ game in front of the God of the universe! Yet He led them with grace and compassion. When He needed their support the most, they left Him to die alone. Yet His first act after rising from the dead was to make them breakfast.
And still today, when I struggle to obey. When I fall to the temptation to have my own way, to worry about tomorrow, or selfishly ‘stand up for my rights’. He accepts me as I am flaws and all. He forgives. He understands. He encourages. He loves.
Paul writes to the Philippians and to us. He begs us to have that attitude, that mindset that set Jesus apart from the rest. An attitude of love, compassion, forgiveness and security. As Christ-followers we have an opportunity…an obligation as such, to show the world what Jesus was really about. He wasn’t about rules, regulations or religious dogmas. He was about relationship.
PRAYER: My dear Jesus. When I think of how you responded to daily life I’m in awe of your patience, love and compassion. Thank you for loving me the way you do. Empower me with your Holy Spirit so that I may live with the same attitude, the same mindset you did. Help me to live so that others will see Jesus in me. Amen.
To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:26
History verifies that David’s son Solomon was not only the richest King in Israel’s history, but perhaps the richest King in the history of the world. There was nothing he wanted that he could not have. Money, fame, power, women, Solomon had it all.
Ironically, Solomon saw nothing good in his wealth. He saw wealth as more of a hindrance than a blessing. Rather than bringing him happiness and joy and contentment in his heart, he saw life as being a meaningless adventure tied to making more money and having more toys.
The book of Ecclesiastes is the story of Solomon’s heart. It tells the emotions of one who has lived, by the worlds standards, a rich, full, successful life, only to come to a point when all his labors and successes seem worthless. Why even try? You work hard. You get all you dream for (or thought you wanted) and there is still no happiness, no joy.
Solomon tells us in verse 26 what it takes to really find joy and happiness in life: God. He is the source of wisdom, knowledge and happiness. It isn’t money. It isn’t fame. It isn’t power. It isn’t being popular with friends, and especially the opposite sex! It’s about pleasing God.
To please someone you must know them well. The better you know a person the better you will know their likes and dislikes. You will know exactly how to surprise them creatively. The same is true with God. The better we get to know Him the more we will know what things He is pleased with and what displeases Him.
Beware though! There are plenty of people out there that will tell you ‘what God wants you to do’. There is pressure to follow the crowd, even in religious circles. Some of these pressures will keep you from being what you want to be; they will prevent you from practicing the skills, talents and abilities that God has given you; they will measure your success or failure by the size of your bank account, the way you dress, the activities you do.
God didn’t give us grace so we could follow the crowd. He gave us grace so we could be free to follow Him. To be free of the pressure to conform to social and religious pressure. Don’t allow yourself to be swayed by a lifestyle that keeps you from being the unique, talented person God created you for. With His help, follow your dreams. Grow closer to Him so you can hear His voice of direction. You may not get rich in money, but you will be rich in joy and happiness!
PRAYER: Father God, There are so many voices in my life right now telling me what I’m doing wrong or what I’m doing right. I’m pulled in so many different directions that I feel like I’m being pulled apart. What I’m really supposed to do and be has become clouded by ‘human wisdom’. Please help me to listen to your voice and your voice only. Help me to remember that I can come directly to you to know your wisdom. I don’t need to rely on other people to learn how to be what you want me to be. Thank you for loving me. Amen.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Charles Swindoll once wrote, “Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.” How we feel about ourselves and how we feel about God are the two main ingredients that determine if we will be happy with life or frustrated and living under the circumstances of our existence.
If we see God as being weak, apathetic or unconcerned about us, or if we see Him as being angry and vengeful towards us we will approach life in fear and hopelessness. If we see ourselves as worthless failures doomed because our past or present circumstances, life is full of despair and we don’t really believe God is who He says He is.
The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that we need to avoid thinking the way the world thinks. People around us measure everything by what is seen, what can be held and what they see as important. Tradition, religious dogmas and society rules can affect our drive to succeed. Some will tell us that a certain type of music is wrong, or that we need to eat certain foods or act certain ways or go to certain churches and be involved in this religious act or that religious act. But who we are has nothing to do with what we have done, do or want to do.
God created each of us with talents and abilities that are unique to us. God, through His Holy Spirit, wants to change your way of thinking. He wants to help each of us see our potential through His eyes and not the eyes of people. The customs, behaviors and practices of people without Christ will lead us to lives which are empty and wanting more. A life built on realizing we are God’s special creations leads us to lives that are content and fulfilled regardless of our social or financial position.
Be free to be you! Don’t let the world tell you how you should be or what you should think. Believe God to be who He says He is; the Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Loving God of the Universe.
As a Christ-follower, ask God change the way you think about yourself. Ask Him to let you see yourself as He sees you. Let His Spirit work through you so that the love of Jesus will be evident in your life to those around you.
You are a child of God! Don’t let the thoughts and actions of others keep you down. With the help of His Holy Spirit you can be empowered to change the world around you.
PRAYER: Holy God, I confess to you that there are many areas of my life where I allow other people to control how I feel about You and how I feel about myself. They use my past, my present and their own ideas to keep me from living the full, joyful life you have for me. I am made in your image O God! I am your Child! Empower me with Your Spirit to show Jesus’ love to those around me. Amen.
