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...

Google Image Sometimes it's hard to sense God's presence. Job struggled with that. He had lost everything, apparently without any logical explanation behind all the terrible events in his life. Job 23 describes his frustration at not being able to "find" God and explain things. He desperately wanted to defend himself and prove to the Almighty that God had made a mistake in allowing all this disaster to come into Job's life. We know the beginning of Job's story so we understand what he didn't. We know that there was a battle going on in heaven that was behind all that Job was going through. But he didn't, although in this chapter Job got as close to the explanation as it is possible to get without knowing the backstory. Job couldn't "find" God but nevertheless he said: " But he knows the way that I take; and when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold " (23:10, NIV). There might have been a touch of arrogance in Job'...

Abijah, the King of Judah, is surrounded by troops from Jeroboam's army (2 Chronicles 13). Superior forces with what looks like an infallible plan. But, God… It's amazing what a "But, God…" can mean in a believer's life. Abijah relied on God, and those superior enemy forces fled and Jeroboam's infallible plan crumbled. Are you facing what appears to be a superior force bent on destroying you? Does it look like you are boxed in and have no place to go? You may be surrounded but if you are surrendered to God, He always has a way out for you. Victory is guaranteed for those who rely on Him.

Reading: Luke 8, 9 You’re going down for the last time. The water is up to your chin and each wave fills your mouth and nose with water. You raise your hand, desperate for someone to see your plight and come to your rescue. From the distant shore comes the triumphant voice of the old revivalist preacher, “I see that hand!” But you’re still going down, overwhelmed by wave after wave of life events. And it doesn’t seem like anyone is going to help. You are going to drown. Enter Jesus. He’s been there all the time, but you’ve been so busy struggling to save yourself that you didn’t notice His hand reaching out to grab yours. Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia And you answer His question with tears generated by both shame and expectation: “Yes, Lord, where was my faith?”