Grains of Sand

Pixabay I ran across this brief devotional while sifting through some articles I had written on the FAITHWRITERS website. I wrote it in 2005 but its truth still remains current for today. “ Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water .” ( Matthew 14:28 NIV ) You have to admire the audacity of Peter. As for me, I don’t like small boats. I prefer my water in a glass or at least in a form that comes with a tap. If I had been Peter, I probably wouldn’t have even been in the boat, much less trying to walk on water. But sometimes the events of life don’t give us a choice. Unlike Peter, we don’t even get the opportunity to ask permission to take a walk on the wet side—we get tossed out of the boat and seemingly left to sink or swim. A serious illness, a financial setback, a ministry turned misery, a relationship that fails, a past that haunts us, a present that overwhelms us and a future that defies us—who would ask to walk on these turbulent waters? For P...

Pixabay, Public Domain “ The Lord is my shepherd…he restores my soul ” A “cast” sheep is one that has fallen over onto its back and can’t get back up onto its feet. Without intervention it will die. The psalmist describes what a “cast” soul is like in Psalm 42:5, 6: “ Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?…My soul is downcast within me. ” Did you think that depression, despair, sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, loneliness, fear, and worthlessness were modern day phenomena? They aren’t. Sleepless nights, lack of appetite, uncontrolled anger followed by guilt, a sense that God has walked away—if He was ever there at all, and the very real sense that life is over, are nothing new. Watching my mother suffer from chronic depression for many years always reminds me of just how real being “cast” is. Don Baker sums it up much better than I ever could. He writes: “OUR LORD IS THE SOUL DOCTOR. He is the only one trained and experienced in the healing of the soul—the onl...

He's exaggerating, right? He means that we should just be willing, right? " If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple " —Luke 14:26. " And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple " —Luke 14:27. " …any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple " —Luke 14:33. God doesn't exaggerate for effect. He says what He means, and means what He says. I wish He wouldn't give me so much to wrestle with so early in the morning. I had some words to look up. " Hate " here means " to detest " and, by extension, " to love less ." Pretty sure I knew what the word " disciple " meant, I looked it up anyway. No rocket science here, it simply means " a learner ." Last night, I did a mental health check only to discover that out of ten causes of dep...

He ran for his life. Exhausted to the point of collapse, overwhelmed by anxiety, depressed beyond hope, Elijah took off. His only desire was to die. God was waiting for him under a broom tree (1 Kings 19). No sharp rebukes for his lack of faith, no punishment for abandoning his post; God simply supplied sleep, food, and blessed silence, to his weary foot soldier. This morning's verse reminded me of Elijah's situation. Jesus said: " Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest " —Matthew 11:28. Our Lord understands our need for those times to "come apart" before we "fall apart." He waits for us wherever our "broom tree" happens to be and provides not only refreshing, but restoration. It's unfortunate that we often have to fall to such a low point in our lives before we are forced by our own weakness to call on God's strength. The good news? At that lowest point, God waits.

Last night I spoke on the phone with a friend. She is one of several people I know here in Venezuela who are seriously depressed. The situation in the country in not encouraging, and there is plenty to get depressed about. I prayed that God would give me a word of encouragement for her, and for others. And, ever faithful, He sent this along this morning: " The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him " —Nahum 1:7. It's easy to become overwhelmed by circumstances and not so easy to give those circumstances to God and leave them for Him to work out according to His will. Our tendency is to snatch our concerns out of His hand and continue to worry over them. These are moments when Nahum's words need to become like a mantra, repeated over and over until their truth replaces the anxiety of our souls. I pray that will be true for my friend, and for you, today.