Combating the Waves
I don’t know about you, but I have had a lot of moments recently where I have felt like I was “drowning”. Completely overtaken by the rough waves of life. Waves of anger, pain, sorrow, fear, loneliness, chaos, you name it.
Acts 20:9-11 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. As Paul was talking on and on, Eutychus was gradually falling asleep. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was dead when they picked him up. Paul went to him, took him into his arms, and said, “Don’t worry! He’s alive!” Then Eutychus went up stairs again, broke the bread, and ate.
When praying over this set of verses I was led to think about our sin. We don’t want it. We don’t want the troubles of life. We want to connect with God and receive the Holy Spirit and all He promises us (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control). Yet time and time again we slowly allow ourselves to drift away from it.
We drift and drift further into that negative thinking. Further into the temptation that Satan is feeding us until we let it overcome us. Then we fall. We fall short of what God has called us to and sin. We fall and get hurt by the sin we have done, affecting others as well. We believe that we have no hope. That we’re done. We’re lost. We’re drowning.
Matthew 14:27-31 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?”
Just like my 4 month old when he is hungry. He is offered food. He starts to eat, but gets distracted. He is offered it again, but rejects it to focus on what has distracted him. Eventually his food is put away. Once he realizes what has happened and that it’s gone, he gets upset. He realizes what was important, what he should have been focusing on, what he needs to sustain himself. Do I reject his need in spite? “Too bad you should’ve eaten when you asked the first time.” No, I feed him. I am still there to fulfill his needs so long as he turns to me and receives it. How much more does God do this for us and how much more perfectly. For He is God after all, a good perfect loving father.
God knows us. He knows we are not him, Jesus. He knows we are in process and that we will fall short. So what does He do? He reaches His hand out to us to pull us from the waves. He sends fellow believers to raise us from the grave we have fallen into. He willingly saves us time and time again.
Set your sight on God. Not coming to Him in a panic still focusing on the waves and their power (example -https://encouragementprevails.blogspot.com/2020/03/receivingopening-door.html),
but on God’s power. He created you. He created those around you. He created the sky, the stars, the universe and everything in it. He defeated death!! FOR YOU! He knows your every thought. He knows what’s to come. He is Holy. He has chosen us to be His children. This is who the hand that is reaching out to you belongs to. This is whose spirit lives inside you. WHAT shall you fear when God is on your side. NOTHING is more powerful than God.
Reach out to other believers. Tell them your struggle. However detailed or vague you want to be. Bringing it to light in any way is helpful. When reaching out, also ask for prayer. By doing this you're not only bringing your difficulty to light, but showing that you’re handing it over to God and trusting Him to answer. Taking this step causes a HUGE shift in where your stance is spiritually. In whose hands you are in.
Acts 20:9-11 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in a window. As Paul was talking on and on, Eutychus was gradually falling asleep. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell from the third story and was dead when they picked him up. Paul went to him, took him into his arms, and said, “Don’t worry! He’s alive!” Then Eutychus went up stairs again, broke the bread, and ate.
When praying over this set of verses I was led to think about our sin. We don’t want it. We don’t want the troubles of life. We want to connect with God and receive the Holy Spirit and all He promises us (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control). Yet time and time again we slowly allow ourselves to drift away from it.
We drift and drift further into that negative thinking. Further into the temptation that Satan is feeding us until we let it overcome us. Then we fall. We fall short of what God has called us to and sin. We fall and get hurt by the sin we have done, affecting others as well. We believe that we have no hope. That we’re done. We’re lost. We’re drowning.
Matthew 14:27-31 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?”
Just like my 4 month old when he is hungry. He is offered food. He starts to eat, but gets distracted. He is offered it again, but rejects it to focus on what has distracted him. Eventually his food is put away. Once he realizes what has happened and that it’s gone, he gets upset. He realizes what was important, what he should have been focusing on, what he needs to sustain himself. Do I reject his need in spite? “Too bad you should’ve eaten when you asked the first time.” No, I feed him. I am still there to fulfill his needs so long as he turns to me and receives it. How much more does God do this for us and how much more perfectly. For He is God after all, a good perfect loving father.
God knows us. He knows we are not him, Jesus. He knows we are in process and that we will fall short. So what does He do? He reaches His hand out to us to pull us from the waves. He sends fellow believers to raise us from the grave we have fallen into. He willingly saves us time and time again.
Set your sight on God. Not coming to Him in a panic still focusing on the waves and their power (example -https://encouragementprevails.blogspot.com/2020/03/receivingopening-door.html),
but on God’s power. He created you. He created those around you. He created the sky, the stars, the universe and everything in it. He defeated death!! FOR YOU! He knows your every thought. He knows what’s to come. He is Holy. He has chosen us to be His children. This is who the hand that is reaching out to you belongs to. This is whose spirit lives inside you. WHAT shall you fear when God is on your side. NOTHING is more powerful than God.
Reach out to other believers. Tell them your struggle. However detailed or vague you want to be. Bringing it to light in any way is helpful. When reaching out, also ask for prayer. By doing this you're not only bringing your difficulty to light, but showing that you’re handing it over to God and trusting Him to answer. Taking this step causes a HUGE shift in where your stance is spiritually. In whose hands you are in.
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