Their Faith

Most of us who have attended church, bible study or read bible stories have heard the story of Jesus on the boat with his disciples. He is sleeping, a storm comes up, and they wake him up. If you haven't you can read it here: Luke 8: 22-28, or Matthew 23-27,  or Mark 4:35-41.

I have heard many different sermons on this scripture focused on Jesus calming the storm.

But last week, the sermon spoke of them waking him. And that Jesus was rebuking them for their lack of faith. And it is true..if we think of the boat as our life, and if we have Jesus in our boat (if we have invited him there), ...do we need to worry about the storms? We have Jesus in the boat! What should we worry about if Christ is in the boat?  And as many sermons have taught, our eyes should be on Jesus....not on the storms that are raging.

So, that got me to wondering...the what if.  What if the disciples had had the faith and had looked at the storm, and then looked at who was in the boat....and chose to go to sleep. Not worry about the storm. Not worry about what could happen. Not think about all the possibilities. But....just had the faith to go to sleep. What did they miss out on?

And I wonder about us. What storms have we begged and begged to stop...and Jesus stopped them. What could those storms have done in our life? How would it have shaped us? What possibilities did we let go of?

When storms rage against our lives...they toss us into new directions. They give us new perspectives. They grow us. They change us. They make us more dependent on Christ. We should not be shouting so soon to wake up Jesus. He knows exactly what is going on. He is fully aware. If he can sleep through it, we should rest as well. He knows all, and sees all.

I am not sure what they missed out on that day. But I think of the storms I have endured...and what they did for me. They were tough to go through and they were very scary. But, I look at who I am today because of those storms, and I am so thankful.

So don't miss out, endure your storms. Remember, he will only allow what we can endure...so hold on tight, be alert and steadfast, and see where your storms will take you.

2 Corinthians 1: 3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort."

May my words always bring salt and light.

A Cross or a Tree: Same Message and Meaning

When I think of Christ and the crucification, my days of Jehovah's Witness teachings come back to me. Many a discussions I had with them about the means of his death...they do not believe he died on a cross.
Interestingly, I think back now and wonder was that argument relevant? Was it just to mask the significance of the meaning of his death?
Tonight, the eve of Good Friday, I can only think of its meaning. Of what occured in Christ's death and the significance it has for each of us. It is the message that is highlighted now, not the means of his death. Either way, I know he suffered for me. Either way, I know he took my sins to the cross. Either way, he created the bridge between me and his heavenly Father. He was the final sacrifice. He did this because of his love for each and every one of us. That is the significance.
Often, Satan will divide us on the insignificant, allow us to mask and hide the significant. Let us focus tonight, through the weekend and all the days to follow on the significant.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. " John 3:14-16
Now that is significant, and for this, I am thankful. I have believed, and I have this hope and promise to hold on to. May you too think about the significance of Easter as you celebrate this weekend.
May you always find salt and light in my words!