Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus Walks on the Water

           ²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
          ²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
          ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
          ²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
          ²⁹ “Come,” he said.
       Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
          ³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
        ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

 I love this. 

What a sweet example of Jesus' heart as well as His heart for people. Characteristics of Jesus' heart are shown as he sends His disciples ahead of Him so He could spend time by himself in God's presence to pray, be refueled, and spend time with the One who is ultimately His world, Lover of His soul. Truly, an example of how we are to spend our days with our Lover, the One who has marked a stamp of approval on our hearts because of the Cross. I want this kind of devotion. I need this kind of devotion. This passage reminds me that I am not my own, this life is not about me. It is only about serving God, dying to self, and spreading His unmatched Love with others. God says later in Matthew 22:37-39 to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind." and "Love your neighbor as yourself". These are the two Greatest Commandments for us as believers. Let it be that my heart is full of His Light, not hidden under a lampshade.

Jesus' heart for others is also shown as He miraculously walks on water to meet His disciples. They see this Man and are immediately fearful, thinking He is a ghost. I love Jesus' reaction - He immediately replies, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Peter is the only disciple who reacts in faith as he asks Jesus to call him to the water. I can only imagine how Peter is feeling at this moment. Jesus tells him to come and Peter, full of faith with his eyes of Jesus, comes. Peter begins walking on the water yet loses sight of Jesus, takes his eyes off Jesus, focuses on the strong wind, loses faith, and begins to doubt. At this moment, Peter begins to sink. I can think of so many times in my life when I can completely relate to Peter. I begin with my eyes on Jesus and then all of a sudden I focus on the difficult things around me or lose faith or begin to feel doubt creep in...and I start to sink. Yet still, even as Peter begins to sink, he pleads, "Lord, save me!" and immediately Jesus reaches out his strong, able hand to save him. Peter does not drown, yet his faith is strengthened. "You of little faith!...Why did you doubt?" - Jesus. Even though the disciples had seen many miracles performed by Jesus himself, Peter still doubted. Peter still doubted, yet Jesus was quick to reach out His Hand to save him. Jesus always has compassion on His people.

 What a pure story of faith. God will always be faithful. He will never fail. This Truth is what I cling to. 

Let it be.

 

Increase.

This week, as hard as this is to say, has gotten the best of me. I can't even put my finger on what exactly has been so aggravating...which makes it even more obnoxious. I am the type of person who wants to do things well, and do it well the first time. I admit, I don't feel I have done my job well this week. I have lacked patience (which is needed when the people you hang out with are only 5, 6, and 7) and felt like I have simply been going through the motions. I have gotten upset with things that in reality aren't that big of a deal and have started many days this week feeling aggravated. Ultimately, I have been relying on my own strength and motivation. I, on my own, am just not enough.

Thank goodness for these simple truths:

*When I am weak, He is strong.

*When I spend more time in the Word, I have a greater understanding of God's character, am able to seek understanding and wisdom from the Holy Spirit, and am refined into who He wants me to be.

*When I spend time with Him the fruits of the Spirit in my life increase and the ways of the world in me decrease.

*I am not but I know "I AM." (God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM" - Exodus 3:14)

I have learned to enjoy the stages of refinement. For as a silversmith refines metal, I am being refined by God. A silversmith goes through multiple stages to bring the impurities out of the silver. He leaves the silver in the heat for just enough time before it is destroyed. He brings the silver out from the heat and scrapes off the impurities. Then, once again, puts it back in the heat for just enough time before it is destroyed. This process is repeated until the silver is pure and void of all impurities. Surely, this process takes time and patience for the silversmith. This is exactly what it's like to be refined by God. Refinement is difficult but in the end gives the purest results.

Daily, I am learning to give up the ways of the world and trade them for the ways of the Kingdom. Kingdom ways are not always the most popular and could actually seem crazy or confusing but I know I AM. I know I AM and know that His ways are higher than mine. I know I AM and know that He loves me with a love that rattles the universe. I know I AM and know He calls me beloved, beautiful, precious, and wonderfully made. For me, this is enough to follow Him. For me, this is enough to live a Kingdom life. For me, this is why I want to be the purest of pure. I want to be like Him, glorify Him with all my might, and be rid of myself because His ways are higher than mine.

So, Father would you rid me of the ways of the world and refine me to be the woman You desire. Rid my heart and soul of gossip and slander and increase my heart to become more understanding. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Let my heart be full of compassion and let me be quick to love the "unlovable". Let the Fruits of Your Spirit increase in me. For thine is the Kingdom, the power, the glory, forever. Amen.

"They loved me fiercely, real fiercely."

Testimonies are powerful. They are real, raw, genuine, hopeful, beautiful examples of God's fierce love for us. This video brought me to tears - to see a pure example of how God brings His people back to him with a love that is immeasurable. Watch and be awestruck by the beauty and reality of our God.

"My prayer is that you and I would become more united and more like-minded with Christ, having the same love that He has. That we would encourage like Jesus, comfort like Jesus, have the same tenderness and compassion as Jesus. So that whomever we are with and wherever we go - if we are shopping or with our kids or worshipping or working - we will be like Jesus." - Heidi Baker

Amen.

Wide. Long. High. Deep.

So many times I've wondered if what I'm doing at school is really making an impact. Am I doing enough for my little friends outside of school, teaching enough life skills, giving enough grace, or challenging them enough? Am I doing enough? So I came to this conclusion: I will never be able to do enough, Jesus will do that, and THAT is enough.

The Lord reminded me of this simple truth. It is not on my own wisdom, strength, or power that I go about day to day life in the classroom. It is by His great mercy, love, and power that I am able to pour out my life onto others.

One of my sweet friends gave me a new book to read for my birthday (Learning to Love by Heidi and Rolland Baker). It's filled with examples of how the Holy Spirit is able to move through us and affect a nation for His glory. Hearts are being turned to Him and He gets all the honor, glory, and praise. Let this be the same in Charlotte, North Carolina. In Jesus' Name!

Anyways, this part of the book really hit hard with what I was thinking about in regards to school.

"When your mind is too big and your heart is too small, you cannot get anywhere. You cannot fly, let alone soar.

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

                                                                                                       Matthew 17:20

Where does this kind of faith that soars come from? It comes from love, from knowing who Jesus is, from understanding what He thinks of you and realizing who He has made you to be. When you are in love you have power. When you start to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, you start to get full of God and full of the understanding that whatever He asks you to do, you can do; that wherever He asks you to go, you can go. You can live on the edge, because even in the darkest places, light is waiting there for you. His love, His light in you and me. Passion: It makes us unstoppable."

I love this. What a gentle, beautiful reminder that I do not have to be enough. I won't be enough on my own - ever. However, thanks be to God who makes me enough. It is by His love and mercy that I am enough. Daily I am learning more and more about His precious character. I am understanding what He thinks of me, and realizing who He has made me to be. 

When I understand His love for me; His long, wide, high, deep love, then, and only then, am I able to be enough to my little friends at school. "...because even in the darkest places, light is waiting there for you. His love, His light in you and me."

Father God. Thank you for this reminder. Use me as You wish at school and help me to set aside my desires for Yours. Thank you for being the light waiting for me. 

Amen.