Keep Your Eyes On The Teacher

 Jesus Walks on the Sea 

Matthew 14:22-33 (NKJV)  

²² Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 

²³ And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 

²⁴ But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

²⁵ Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 

²⁶ And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 

³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³ Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

I love the humanness of this parable because it illustrates how even the disciples at one time were fragile in their faith. Jesus, our quintessential teacher used every opportunity to teach the disciples.  Today, Jesus continues to teach each of us through our circumstances and the people in our lives. Jesus never takes a day off.

We can learn great lessons and realize God’s plan for us if we keep our focus on Him and not allow ourselves to be distracted by the turbulence in our lives. So how do we keep our eyes on Jesus?

Pray continually.  When we pray we have a more acute awareness of God’s presence in our lives and it will help us to stay focused on Him rather than on all of the things in life that steal our joy. The best thing we can do when we feel overwhelmed and distracted by life, is to stop and pray and refocus our energy on Him.

Read His Word.  Even if we only spend 15-30 minutes each day reading scripture it can have a profound affect on our perspective and put us at peace as we go about the business of each day.

Surrender.  Surrendering all of our concerns to him is the ultimate form of trust. When we surrender, it means that we release ourselves from destructive thoughts and activities like worry, stress, anger, unforgiveness and insecurity.  It is in our best interest to let go of our grip on these things that over time can destroy us spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only is it toxic to us but eventually this destructive energy will take a toll on our relationships with others.

Keep Childlike Faith.  Never give up on your aspirations or on Him. God always keeps his promises. It just may take a little longer than we would like, but He is a faithful loving God and expects us to be the same. Childlike faith is the purest form of trust. It means standing before him with our eyes and arms wide open, accepting him at his word with no doubt or fear.

Hang with Other Christians.  There is nothing like community to bolster the spirit and fill us with love and confidence. We are not alone in our struggles and they are not unique to us. Holding hands with other Christians helps us to keep our flame of faith burning brightly.   

Hebrews 12:1  
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. 

As Christians, we are unstoppable.  Check out this YouTube video for a boost!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5-Cqpa09zM

Peace - It Is Well With My Soul

John 14:27 (NKJV)  ²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

There are days when I simply cannot find the peace that Jesus left to us. My heart remains troubled by the disturbing events in the world and challenges of everyday life. Sometimes I think I just need to let things be, stop cogitating over every detail, close my eyes on the world and give my heart a rest.  

What is the secret to finding the kind of peace that Jesus possessed and also promised to us? The kind of peace where he slept in the boat during the storm while his disciples panicked. The kind of peace he maintained as people demanded his attention, tugging anxiously on his robe seeking his healing powers. The kind of peace that comes only with true faith in God.

Does Jesus simply leave us with peace, or is it something that we proactively need to seek out?  I think the answer is both.  In the Psalms of David he writes:

Psalm 34:14 (NKJV) Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

As hard as we try to control our lives, it is often unpredictable and learning to stay at peace in the midst of chaos and tragedy is a true test of our faith in God. For it is during the times of uncertainty and difficulty when God is able to teach us and grow us as Christians. These are teachable moments if we embrace them as such God will walk us through each situation filled with his peace.  

If you want peace in your life, you must first seek it and then receive it from God. It is truly a choice we make every minute of every day. People and circumstances can take away our material possessions and loved ones, but no one on earth can take away our inner peace, unless we freely give it up. 

John 16:33 (NKJV) ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will^[ have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

This is not easy to accomplish and requires a conscience and committed effort, diligence, prayer and faith. What better pursuit is there than to seek and find the peace Jesus leaves with us? 

There is an excellent book called, “Calming the Storm Within: How to Find Peace in This Chaotic World” by Jim Lange.  It is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. 

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

I leave you with this lovely hymn written by Horatio Spafford who faced tremendous loss and tradgedy  but managed to stay in peace. This hymn was brought to my attention in the book I referenced above, but I want to share it with you here. Also, please give up ten minutes of TV time and watch this video on youtube about Horatio Spafford. You won’t be disappointed.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy1bd0EfiNM 

It Is Well With My Soul - by Horatio Spafford

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(refrain)

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(refrain)

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Shake Off The Dust

Mark 6:11 (NKJV)¹¹ And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

It had been a lousy day. The kind when situations large and small seem to pile up one by one until you feel like you are going to lose it. You know the kind of day I’m talking about, when nothing seems to go your way, new problems show up and people let you down. The frustrations and worries pile up like an uneven stack of bricks that could topple at any moment.   

I was having one of those days and while I was sitting at a stop light ruminating about the drama in my life, I saw him. 

He had long white frizzy hair and was dressed in what looked like pajama pants, a loose fitting gray shirt and shoes that were well worn and too big for his feet. He shuffled down the sidewalk as if there were concrete in his shoes almost dragging a plastic grocery bag filled with his belongings. His shoulders were hunched over and he walked with is head down.  

I was immediately touched and shaken. I wondered where he was going, where he had been and how his life got to this place?  Life could definitely be worse I thought, feeling ashamed that I had wasted so much energy being negatively focused, self-obsorbed and obsessed with what was wrong in my life instead of counting my blessings. 

I often wonder if Jesus shows up on earth from time to time in different forms to remind us of our blessings. Was that man Jesus? Did he appear briefly as a homeless man to teach us as he did during his time with the disciples? Was Jesus working in my heart at that very moment to call my attention to this homeless man to shake me out of my self-pity?  

The words of Jesus from Mark 6:11 resonate with me. When life is challenging, people reject you and things do not go as planned, move on and shake the dust from beneath your feet. Don’t let the dust build up, cake on and slow you to down keeping you stuck in a negative place. Dust off your feet, let things go, gain perspective and look for all of the things that are going well in your life.  Most of all trust God, he knows what he is doing.  

It was a gentle reminder for me that each and every day is a blessed gift from God.  

Thank you sweet Jesus for the reminder.  I am truly grateful.  

May God’s peace be with you all.  Shake the dust off your feet and dance!

Here is a beautiful song of gratitude to lift your day. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGzhMDsb3sY

Here are the words so you can sing along! 

Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me 
Written by The Easter Brothers

As the world looks upon me, as I struggle along
They say I have nothing, but they are so wrong
In my heart I'm rejoicing, how I wish they could see
Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me

There's a roof up above me
I've a good place to sleep
There's food on my table
And shoes on my feet
You gave me your love Lord
And a fine family
Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me

Now I know I'm not wealthy, and these clothes, they're not new
I don't have much money, but Lord I have you
And to me that's all that matters, though the world cannot see
Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me