storms

Opening Prayer: Lord, I am yours; I do yield myself up entirely to you, and I believe that you do take me.  I leave myself with you.  Work in me all the good pleasure of your will, and I will only lie still in your hands and trust you.  Amen. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33

Journal:  Where and how is God growing you in your spiritual life these days?  Where is he asking you to trust him and not be afraid?  Where in your life are you choosing comfort and ease over growth? 

Reflection: Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

     Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

     But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

     “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

     “Come,” he said.

     Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

     Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

     And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

     Sometimes in this life we get tossed into the raging sea.  There is no choice involved; we are not invited by Jesus to step over the side of the boat and dance with him on the wild and chaotic waters.  No, sometimes circumstances make that choice for us, and we suddenly find ourselves out there, whether we want to be or not, just trying to survive and keep our heads above water.

     The beauty is that, whether we have chosen it or not, Jesus still comes out to us, walking on the lake.  He still utters the words, “Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”  He still reaches out his hand and catches us, and sets our feet back on solid ground.  He still asks that we fix our eyes on him and not the wind or the waves around us.  You see, he is always about doing a deeper work in us.  He is trying to grow our faith and our trust.  Jesus is not about our comfort and ease.  He is not so much concerned with whether or not we like our circumstances, but is concerned with whether or not we will trust him in the midst of them.  His desire for our growth is greater than his desire for our comfort.  Ease and comfort are actually two great enemies of the spiritual life.  Which makes me wonder why I pursue them so diligently.  Lord, have mercy.  

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Grow, dear friends; but grow, I beseech you, in God’s way, which is the only effectual way.  See to it that you are planted in grace, and then let the divine Husbandman cultivate you in His own way and by His own means. (The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith)