“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6 NIV).
Peter doubted and found himself sinking in the middle of the lake in high winds and huge waves. (Matt. 14:30) Doubt can destroy your faith. Peter was well aware of this as he started sinking and called for Jesus to save him. You see Peter and the apostles were out in a boat in the middle of the night. The wind was buffeting their boat, and it was about ready to sink when they saw Jesus walking on the water towards them. At first they were afraid, but Jesus told them not to be afraid. Peter, being the compulsive guy that he was said, “Lord if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water” (Matt. 14:28 NIV). The Lord told him to come. So Peter jumped out of that fishing boat and started to walk on the water, keeping his eyes on Jesus. Now the mistake Peter made was that he took his eyes off Jesus and noticed the big wind and became afraid. That is when he started to sink and yell for Jesus to help him. The reassuring thing is that Jesus took him by the hand and caught him. But he also gave him a little scolding saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matt. 14:31 NIV).
When we find ourselves in the middle of turmoil instead of sinking in doubt and despair we need to call out Jesus name, and He will lift us out of the sea of dismay. This story gives us so much hope that He is always there for us when we feel as if we are sinking from a great load of care. Taking hold of His hand and trusting Him to give us peace, just like He did for those in that boat, will lift our spirit. Let us trust Him with all of our cares, knowing that He will always be our strength when we are weak.
Dear Lord,
Just as Peter, it is easy for us to doubt when the storms of life assail us. Help us to take hold of your hand knowing that you can be trusted with every aspect of our lives. We trust you in our storms and know that with you by our side we can make it through the worst storm with the knowledge that you will never leave us or forsake us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Do Not Fear by Ann Elaine Broughton
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).
What are you afraid of? For some people it is the fear of cancer, death, foreclosure, loss of a job, or fear that something might happen to their children. When fear brings you to your knees, take heart, the Lord is with you. Before Jesus was crucified he gathered his apostles together and gave them a pep talk. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV). As a Christian you can have that peace that Christ spoke of if you pray and ask for it. You do not need to be crippled by fears that you have no control over, because you have the Holy Spirit available to bring you peace. If all you think of is what you are afraid of then you are letting Satan control your thoughts. Satan wants you to concentrate on these negative thoughts so you won’t be a good witness for the Lord. How do you feel when you are afraid? Helpless? Hopeless? It is time for you to give your fears to the Lord and let Him give you His perfect peace. My challenge to you this week is to trust in the Lord and not be afraid. Lay your fears at his feet and leave them there, trusting Him to take care of your every need.
Dear Lord,
It seems sometimes that fears threaten to overtake my life. Help me to give all of them to you, knowing that you will take them and give me peace in its place. I trust you with my life and the lives of my loved ones. I thank you for giving me the peace that only you can give.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
What are you afraid of? For some people it is the fear of cancer, death, foreclosure, loss of a job, or fear that something might happen to their children. When fear brings you to your knees, take heart, the Lord is with you. Before Jesus was crucified he gathered his apostles together and gave them a pep talk. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV). As a Christian you can have that peace that Christ spoke of if you pray and ask for it. You do not need to be crippled by fears that you have no control over, because you have the Holy Spirit available to bring you peace. If all you think of is what you are afraid of then you are letting Satan control your thoughts. Satan wants you to concentrate on these negative thoughts so you won’t be a good witness for the Lord. How do you feel when you are afraid? Helpless? Hopeless? It is time for you to give your fears to the Lord and let Him give you His perfect peace. My challenge to you this week is to trust in the Lord and not be afraid. Lay your fears at his feet and leave them there, trusting Him to take care of your every need.
Dear Lord,
It seems sometimes that fears threaten to overtake my life. Help me to give all of them to you, knowing that you will take them and give me peace in its place. I trust you with my life and the lives of my loved ones. I thank you for giving me the peace that only you can give.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Do Not Complain by Ann Elaine Broughton
“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe…..” (Philippians 2:14 NIV).
Let’s face it all of us have complained about something during our lifetime, but the above verse tells us not to so that we can be a good example to other people. Being blameless and pure are pretty great goals to try to achieve. This verse tells us that complainers are not blameless and pure. When a person complains it usually means they are in a bad mood and consequently, that bad mood can rub off on others. If you have been around a person who complains all the time, you know exactly what I mean. A complaining person makes others feel negative.
Linda Dillow, the author of Calm My Anxious Heart, tells a story about a missionary named Ella who lived in Africa for 52 years as a missionary. Believe it or not, she never complained, even when the heat was above 120 degrees. She had a motto, which I am paraphrasing: not to complain about anything, not to picture yourself in any other circumstances, not to compare your life with anyone else, not to wish something else would have happened instead of what did, and not to worry about tomorrow. She was content because she lived by this motto and she trusted God explicitly with her life.
If we live by this motto, we too will find things to praise God for, instead of complaining. All of us have so many things we can be thankful for, blessings that God has showered down upon us. All we have to do is think on these things instead of negative things.
If you find yourself complaining, stop yourself and think about something positive you can say instead so you will be a shining light to someone who needs words of encouragement. I believe all of us would like to be pure and blameless, children of God without fault. Let us try hard this week to be shining lights for others by speaking words that are positive and encouraging.
Dear Lord,
Help us this week not to complain about anything, knowing that there are so many things we can be thankful for. Let us measure our words wisely when we are with others because our witness is very important, and we want to lift peoples’ spirits instead of making them feel discouraged.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Let’s face it all of us have complained about something during our lifetime, but the above verse tells us not to so that we can be a good example to other people. Being blameless and pure are pretty great goals to try to achieve. This verse tells us that complainers are not blameless and pure. When a person complains it usually means they are in a bad mood and consequently, that bad mood can rub off on others. If you have been around a person who complains all the time, you know exactly what I mean. A complaining person makes others feel negative.
Linda Dillow, the author of Calm My Anxious Heart, tells a story about a missionary named Ella who lived in Africa for 52 years as a missionary. Believe it or not, she never complained, even when the heat was above 120 degrees. She had a motto, which I am paraphrasing: not to complain about anything, not to picture yourself in any other circumstances, not to compare your life with anyone else, not to wish something else would have happened instead of what did, and not to worry about tomorrow. She was content because she lived by this motto and she trusted God explicitly with her life.
If we live by this motto, we too will find things to praise God for, instead of complaining. All of us have so many things we can be thankful for, blessings that God has showered down upon us. All we have to do is think on these things instead of negative things.
If you find yourself complaining, stop yourself and think about something positive you can say instead so you will be a shining light to someone who needs words of encouragement. I believe all of us would like to be pure and blameless, children of God without fault. Let us try hard this week to be shining lights for others by speaking words that are positive and encouraging.
Dear Lord,
Help us this week not to complain about anything, knowing that there are so many things we can be thankful for. Let us measure our words wisely when we are with others because our witness is very important, and we want to lift peoples’ spirits instead of making them feel discouraged.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Do Not Worry by Ann Elaine Broughton
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew: 6:34 NIV).
Jesus spoke these words to his followers as he taught them how to live their lives in accordance to God’s will. It is familiarly called the Sermon on the Mount. The sermon can be read in Matthew chapters 5-7. I believe that worry is one of the most crippling disorders in our faith with God. We can get all caught up in issues that “might” happen and get lost in worry so much that even our health is impaired. Worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet, can cripple us with fear and doubt. We can get so caught up in the “what ifs” that we don’t enjoy the wonderful things that are happening around us at the present time. Jesus knew that as human beings it is very easy for us to forget that God is in control: that we can trust Him to take care of us and help us through anything that might happen. Jesus’ solution to worry is this: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew: 6:33 NIV). Here he is speaking about not worrying about what you will eat, or drink, or what you will wear because God knows that you need these things. All you have to do his seek his kingdom, do His will, and He will take care of you.
My challenge for you this week is that if you find yourself worrying about something, stop and pray. Tell Jesus what your are worrying about and imagine that He is taking your worry away and giving you strength and peace instead. Then make it a point that as soon as you start to worry you totally surrender it to the Lord, and remember: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Dear Lord,
Help us not to worry about tomorrow. Help us to give our worries to you, knowing that you will provide for us everything we need to cope with life’s unpredicted circumstances. Help us to trust you with our lives as we seek your kingdom and your righteousness.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Jesus spoke these words to his followers as he taught them how to live their lives in accordance to God’s will. It is familiarly called the Sermon on the Mount. The sermon can be read in Matthew chapters 5-7. I believe that worry is one of the most crippling disorders in our faith with God. We can get all caught up in issues that “might” happen and get lost in worry so much that even our health is impaired. Worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet, can cripple us with fear and doubt. We can get so caught up in the “what ifs” that we don’t enjoy the wonderful things that are happening around us at the present time. Jesus knew that as human beings it is very easy for us to forget that God is in control: that we can trust Him to take care of us and help us through anything that might happen. Jesus’ solution to worry is this: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew: 6:33 NIV). Here he is speaking about not worrying about what you will eat, or drink, or what you will wear because God knows that you need these things. All you have to do his seek his kingdom, do His will, and He will take care of you.
My challenge for you this week is that if you find yourself worrying about something, stop and pray. Tell Jesus what your are worrying about and imagine that He is taking your worry away and giving you strength and peace instead. Then make it a point that as soon as you start to worry you totally surrender it to the Lord, and remember: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Dear Lord,
Help us not to worry about tomorrow. Help us to give our worries to you, knowing that you will provide for us everything we need to cope with life’s unpredicted circumstances. Help us to trust you with our lives as we seek your kingdom and your righteousness.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
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