08/05/2019
How do you perceive your life to be going? Are you in a sailboat sitting on a calm sea, are you in rough water being battered by the wind, or sailing in a fair wind and following sea? Whatever your situation, it is the will of God that you be there at that moment, and you are experiencing something of Him in the process. We might think it good or bad, but God is there at our side, and has led us to be in that place with Him.
“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."”
Matthew 14:27 ESV
It was a frightening night when Jesus walked on a rough sea towards the boat His disciples were in. Even the image of Him coming towards them brought fear to their hearts, but Jesus was not afraid and called out to them likewise “Do not be afraid.” They were in a place of great danger and fear, but Jesus was calm, and about to teach an incredible lesson regarding faith. He didn’t immediately get into the boat, or calm the seas; instead He heard Peter’s voice, and called Him to get out of the boat and walk to Him.
“And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"”
Matthew 14:28-31 ESV
For a moment Peter was unafraid and fixed on Jesus, but when he looked at the intense wind He became afraid again. In the first little while Peter was walking on water, but when he looked at the world again he began to sink. Has this happened to you? Have you been in a troubling situation, heard Jesus tell you to fear not, began to trust in Him, and then at some point reinserted yourself into your troubles because of worldly fear? Did you feel the comfort of Christ for that brief time, only to slip once again into fear and despondency? As you began to sink again into your problems did you hear Jesus chide you for your lack of faith as He reached out His hand and took hold of you? We miss so many lessons ourselves, but sometimes our failure gives someone else powerful instruction; a lesson in faith. The disciples in the boat saw something amazing... sure they saw Peter fail, and sink into the water, but before that they saw his faith allow him to walk across that water, and they saw Jesus reach out and lift him up. Sometimes what is a failure in our eyes is seen as a victory in another’s.
However, not all lessons in life are taught on rough seas, sometimes we are shown how to sail with the wind at our back. In those times we are shown the thrill of our faith, as our boat shoots across the sea at breakneck speed, with the water blue as sapphire, and our wake white as fresh linen behind our rudder. Some lessons are intended to show us the splendor and greatness of God as they give us a glimpse into His perfection. In this way the hard lessons are made more bearable by our faith.
Then, there are the times of silence, and great periods of calm, when we feel alone. I used to sail a small single mast sailboat on the Potomac River near the Chesapeake Bay. One day I invited a girl from my high-school to go with me for a quick jaunt. She had limited time, but I assured her that I would have us back home in time for her late afternoon appointment. So she agreed, and with this beautiful girl sitting ahead of the mast I sailed out into the wide Potomac. She was a real looker, and I was making a great impression... that is , until the wind died, and the water turned to glass. We were becalmed, and my little sailboat didn’t have an outboard engine on the transom that I could use to take us back to shore. So after assuring her that the wind would pick up again as the afternoon progressed, and as the hours ticked by, it became painfully obvious that we were going to be here well into the night unless I did something about it. So I pulled out a paddle, and began the long trip back to the dock. To make a very long story short, I paddled until almost dark... she missed her appointment (and this was before the time of cell phones), and she never went sailing with me again.
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.”
Psalms 62:5 ESV
Sometimes our faith becomes like a calm sea, and our boat just bobs gently about on it without any wind in our sails. For a bit this seems beautiful, the glassy sea, and the calm restful silence, maybe even a pretty girl, but then, as time wears on, we become frustrated, and feel abandoned. We long for the wind in our sails, and the cutting sound as our bow slices through the water... but there is only the silence, and the loneliness. This is a lesson just as much as the rough seas, or a charging run driven by a brisk wind. God talks to us in the quiet times just as He does in the others... but he speaks in whispers rather than over the top of a roaring wind. In times of quiet we learn patience, and how to wait. Does this sound familiar in your spiritual journey?
“but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 ESV
God is with us in the storms, in the quiet times of calm, and when we are shooting splendidly through life. It is only in our eyes that we see Him differently. His Son Jesus is always the same, and scripture reminds us of this...
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.”
Hebrews 13:8-9 ESV
Our lessons in faith feed us, and they come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Quite often we don’t realize what we are being taught until the lesson is a long way behind us, and in some cases, we may not recognize their value until we are with Jesus before the throne. So fear not, walk on the water, sit becalmed and listen, cheer the wind in our sails as we streak across the water in times of perfection, and participate in the other lessons of faith. In all times, trials, and moments of exhilaration... God is with us, His will for us perfect, and He is good.
As for the girl I was becalmed with that day? Well, she, and that day, were all a part of the amazing path that led me to where God had planned for me to be all along , to my wife Ann, and an intense faith.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your many spiritual lessons, and for teaching us in every moment of life. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who calls us out of our boats, and who tells us to wait. Help us Holy Father to see you in every situation. Show us that in every instant, even in our sleep, you are with us, and speak to our souls. Help us to understand that in those things in which we suffer you are there, in those moments when we rejoice you are there, and in the night’s of mourning you are there. No feather falls, or hair goes uncounted... for you are our God. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who teaches, and transforms us in life. We praise you in our storms, in the calm and quiet that pierces our souls, and in the brisk walks with you across the waters of life in all their forms. Great are you our Merciful God, and all glory belongs to you through your grace that flows from Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and savior.
Rich Forbes