Have you thanked Him?
Have you praised Him?
Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?
Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?
1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. ~Henry Ford
Matthew 8:23-26 (NLV)
Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with him.
A great storm arose on the lake so that waves covered the boat, but Jesus was sleeping. His followers went to him and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We will drown!”
Jesus answered, “Why are you afraid? You don’t have enough faith.” Then Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves, and it became completely calm.
Jesus hid away for a quick respite; He was out of sight for just an instant when the storm, the OBSTACLE came up. And these same men who had been with Him, heard from Him, been amazed by Him, been inspired to greatness with Him, forgot everything He had taught them. They allowed the storm, the obstacle to fill them with fright. Their faith and assurance in just an instant seemingly vanished!
They forgot WHO was with them!
Isn’t that just like us?
We do that too, don’t we?
I was having a pretty heavy conversation with someone I deeply love who was being frightened by some perceived obstacles, a looming storm.
“What is going to happen now that “he” won? Will my “friends who are different” be disenfranchised? Will things be worse? I don’t agree with anything he says or stands for, this is horrible. I am just devastated.”, she uttered.
I paused to encourage her that regardless of Wednesday morning’s result, Jesus is still in the boat. Jesus is still in charge. And with eyes fixed on Jesus, the storm will calm and the obstacles will diminish; that Jesus is with her when the storms cloud gather.
But we all panic from time to time, don’t we?
We all get fixated on the obstacles.
We all get fearful when the clouds gather and darken, the waves intensify and the storm rumbles.
We forget what we know. We forget what we have experienced.
We focus on the storm.
We think we are about to perish or we see no way out or through.
But just like the rickety fellas on the boat, we aren’t going to perish.
Jesus is there. Just like in the boat.
Jesus brings peace. Just like in the boat.
Jesus is with us.
Remember storms will ALWAYS blow up around us from nowhere all the time. Obstacles will surface. Jesus said there would be “trouble” – (John 16:33)
But don’t fixate on them or on it.
Instead… Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid …and don’t be frightened, because the Lord your God will go WITH you. He will not leave you or forget you.
He IS with you.
I love you all
OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE
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