Who is in your boat?

  Life will take us down many roads and across many waters.  Those roads will at times be rocky, and those waters turbulent.  There is nothing new about this.  There will be storms.  It is going to get unpleasant, and sometimes scary. What we have to ask ourselves is one simple question.  "Who is in the boat with me?"

  The boat, of course, is metaphorical.  The question however is the same.  Either we are on board with Jesus Christ or we aren't.  If we are, in fact, on board with our Lord and Savior we have nothing to fear.  Remembering this isn't always easy.  The twelve disciples found it difficult, even with Jesus there in plain sight.

    Luke 8: 22-25

  One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Lets go over to the other side of the lake.". So they got into the boat and set out.  As they sailed, he fell asleep.  A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
  The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, we're going to drown!"
  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.  "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.
  In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this?  He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

  They had, at this point, seen countless miracles by His hand.  They had every reason to stand firm in the knowledge that their master would save them.  Yet, despite all of this, they faltered.  Panic took them.  They cried out, "We are going to drown!" They did one thing right.  When all seemed lost, they called out to Jesus.  What they had failed to see, was that He was with them the whole time.

  I am reminded of the story of the footprints in the sand.  The individual is talking to Jesus.  The person points out that through most of his life there are two sets of footprints.  He is upset though, because there are portions of his life's path where only one set can be seen.  These are the times the man remembers being the hardest.  These are the times he thought he would never make it through.  He demands to know why.  He wants to know why he sees two sets of footprints where his life was easy, but the minute things got tough that second set seems to have disappeared.  He asks why, why wasn't Jesus there?  Why is there only one set of footprints when having the Lord there at his side would have really counted for something?   In this story, Jesus gives only one reply.  He says, "Where you see only one set of footprints, I carried you."

  This is a story (from a much debated source)told to  illustrate a point.  It is that same point that was missed by the disciples in the boat.  Do we know who we have with us?  Are we missing the gravity of WHO HE IS.  The creator of the universe is with us every step of the way.  What we must do when the world  around us slides into chaos, is take a deep breath and remember.  We have to trust in Him.  Nothing can compete with WHO HE IS.  "He commands even the winds and the water."  

  There is nothing wrong with crying out to the Lord.  There is everything right with doing exactly that.  Just remember, He already knows.  He is there with you.  Do not lose faith.  Do not fear.  Cry out to the Lord, but do not be reduced to panic and fear.  Do not forget who it is that you have in the boat.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Read 2 Corinthians 5: 1–10

We live in a society where nothing is good enough. We seek satisfaction at every turn. We push at work for the next pay bracket, hoping that satisfaction will come with a bigger income. There will be more money. Then, maybe, we can get the right clothes and the right house. Then we will be satisfied. The day comes. We move forward with excitement and are happy at first. It is a change. It is exciting. Then comes the disappointment. The new home isn’t what we were hoping for. Someone spills juice or soda on that brand new sweater and it is ruined. Even worse, we look next door only to find that we are behind again. There is something newer and better out there that we do not yet have. Surely, fulfillment will come with that. Surely, once we are set in the new standard, we will be secure.

People put themselves through all sorts of torment to achieve the perfect body, the perfect look. There are books and magazines showing us how we should look. If we can only make the sacrifice to match the image on that cover, then we will be happy. Then we will have confidence. We won’t be so insecure.

We, as a culture, certainly have it wrong. That yearning inside us all is very real. Every single living person knows deep in their core that they were meant for something more. Every person, day in and day out, deals with the insecurity that comes with having to do without. We feel naked, and unsheltered. We are exposed to the world and all of its harm because nothing we can produce, nothing we can buy, will really protect us. Nothing of this world can cover us like the Lord.

God gave us these bodies. They are our earthly tents. We do well to take care of them. Our bodies are indeed temples to the Lord. We are to take care of them. We are to keep ourselves healthy and in good shape, not to impress our peers, but to enable us to do the Lord’s work in this world. God also has another body that awaits each and every one of us. The day will come when we are clothed in our heavenly bodies. We will be covered by His heavenly house. There will be no need for the worries of this world.

Now think on this. We are born, knowing that there is something better. We are born, knowing that nothing in this world will satisfy. Where along the way do we become disillusioned and begin searching for fulfillment in earthly things?

2 Corinthians 5: 1

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

2 Corinthians 5: 2-3

Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

2 Corinthians 5: 5

Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Remember that. We have this yearning for a reason. God wants us to strive for something better. We are to prepare ourselves, and this world for His kingdom. We have been given the Spirit as a guide, as our deposit. Our place is guaranteed. There is no question, or fear of failure. We have His promise.