But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him.” Luke 8:25

 Have you ever heard someone say, “my prayer was answered’? Maybe it was a prayer for safety during a storm, an answer to a problem, or a miraculous healing from some illness. Praying works in all situations, and those who rely on its power do so with faith that God will respond.

 Today’s verse comes from the short story (Luke 8:22-25) about Jesus and His disciples out in a boat when a storm came upon them, rocking their boat, filling it with water and they were fearing for their lives. Jesus was asleep, so they woke Him and sought His help. He commanded the wind and waves to be calm and, in an instant, things were back to normal.

 Maybe you are going through some life storm and the waves of adversity seem to tower over you. I encourage you to seek God for help, by praying to Him, and have faith in His response. It might not come immediately, that is because He is working behind the scenes, while you wait patiently. At other times, you literally can see the very things threatening you simply dissolve without explanation. God works in mysterious ways, and your faith grows each time you experience His amazing response to your cries for help.

 If Jesus can order the wind and waves to stop, so can He help you in times of great distress and times of uncertainty. Call out to Him the next time your life is rocked by difficulty circumstances. In the meantime, praise Him for His faithfulness to walk by your side in the good times and bad. God bless!

 

 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. Isaiah 43:2

 While at a birthday party last night, I was holding our 1-year-old granddaughter, PK. At one point she was getting restless, so we went outside to look at the stars. Out of nowhere, a truck with a very loud exhaust roared, as it took off from the stop sign. That sound frightened her, and immediately she turned from it and looked to me for protection. I hugged that sweet baby girl so she would know that sound would not hurt her.

 What a wonderful lesson we can learn from PK. So often when we encounter something difficult, challenging, or fearful, we tend to focus on it, allowing it to turn up our anxiety and worry; it becomes an overwhelming monster in our eyes and we feel totally helpless. Just a PK did, we need to turn from it and turn to our comforter, God! When we do, we bring awareness of God’s overwhelming presence and that thing or circumstance that concerns us becomes insignificant in the big scheme of things.  

 If only we consistently kept our focus on God and allowed His presence to filter out life’s difficult moments, we’d have less anxiety and more praise! God is always there with us when we walk through the waters, when the flames of adversity try to scorch our plans, all we have to do is look up to Him, as He hugs us with His love, protection, and wisdom.

 Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

 And above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

 Decompression sickness oftentimes occurs to divers who come up too fast, creating bubbles in their bloodstream, which left untreated could be fatal. The treatment for this sickness is to put the person in an enclosed pressure chamber and administer 100% oxygen. This proven method has saved thousands of lives.

 No doubt, we live in a world where many people appear to be living for themselves and care very little about their neighbors, coworkers, even friends and family. This behavior can cause friction, resentment, even hate. Just one example, statistics state that of all the US drivers, 80 – 82% of them will experience road rage at least one time a year. Well, if you drive in my town, this figure can be increased by 10-fold!

 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

 Today’s verse challenges us to love others, even those people we drive next to, live with, work besides, even our enemies. It also offers a reason for loving others; it covers a multitude of sins. To incorporate this verse into my daily life (when I leave the house), I have to frequently remind myself, these other people are God’s creation and He loves them, just as much as He loves me. If I give them anything less than love, I’m not following God’s call to love my neighbor.

 Just like a sick diver being placed in an atmosphere with 100% oxygen to heal his sickness, we need to live in a world, saturated with 100% of love, God’s love, for others. By doing so, we’ll take on a different view of those around us, and by doing so God will recognize you as one of His children. Who do you need to love on today?

 But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

 I know a good man who for years worked hard, to support his wife and kids. Within eyeshot of retirement, his wife decided to leave the family and take most of the retirement money with her. I know a family whose adult children were on their way to a successful life. One day their son had a life altering injury that required him to move back home to receive constant care by his aging parents. These are just a few stories where unexpected events brought significant changes, adding new chapters to their life.  

 Today’s verse provides some hope for those who are dealing with issues that question God’s plan, most importantly asking “why me”? Honestly, it’s a good question and unfortunately many people in these situations won’t receive the answer to their why until they meet their Savior in Heaven. Until then, it’s important to sustain faith in God and not blame Him for the circumstances that have put faith and trust in God to the test.

 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

 If you’ve encountered such tragedy in your life, don’t give up! God has a plan to add new chapters to your life. It might seem dreadful to live out the script God has for you, but He will sustain you through the next days, weeks, and years to bring you to a place of confidence, peace, and healing when you trust God to supply all your needs.

 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

 In the last 14 years of my employment, I was a supervisor, which meant if there were any complaints, I was the one who had to hear them. Some days it seemed like nothing would go right, but then, out of nowhere, someone would pay a compliment to how we operated or about one of our staff. Those positive comments were uplifting for me and my team, and gave us the encouragement to work harder to accomplish the mission successfully.

 Today’s verse gives encouragement for us, as Children of God, to pray earnestly and be vigilant to the needs of others and for ourselves. It also adds one caveat, give thanks in your prayers. I truly believe God is just like us, He loves to receive compliments and praise for what He’s done and currently doing in our life. I’ve said for years, “praising God greases the gears of our prayer requests”.

 Maybe you are experiencing a dryness in your prayer life. You ask God for help, but very little seems to be happening. Try to incorporate praise in your prayers. It does 2 things: 1. Helps you take your focus off your problems and allows you to see what great things God has blessed you with, 2. It shows God that you trust Him enough to solve your issue by praising Him and not just giving Him the heavy burdens you want to pass along to Him. Trust me when I say, this works! Been there, done that. And when I give Him praise, it opens my eyes to the inner workings of His response to my request.

 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19

 Your world may seem like nothing good is happening, but when you turn your attention to God’s blessings, you’ll soon see He’s providing everything you need in your moment of need. God bless!

 Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:5-6

 Have you ever watched a rock climber? They scale sheer cliffs grabbing the smallest slits in the rock to hoist themselves to the next level. For their safety, they use spring loaded mechanical devices that wedge into crevasses that secure a rope that is connected to them, in the event they slip, it will prevent them from falling to their death. A committed climber must have trust in his equipment, otherwise he won’t have the confidence to perform the climb.

 As children of God, we too can relate to a climber’s equipment. Once saved, our life should be committed to Christ for the remainder of days on earth. But there is the second element that keeps you loyal to your commitment, that is faith in God! Your spiritual journey will be met with resistance from the world, that includes your friends, neighbors, co-workers, even family members. We live in a world today that encourages people to rely on self rather than a higher power. I can assure you; self will always fail and bring you crashing down, with repercussions that can last a lifetime.

 As your faith in God grows from various experiences, you will slowly develop an inner light that will shine, even during life’s darkest moments. I’ve witnessed seasoned Christians go through traumatic events that would otherwise devastate the normal person, yet out of their circumstances, they put their faith in God, and He provided inner peace, strength, and encouragement to forge on. Without making myself sound prideful, I’ve come to that point in my life where I can trust God in all circumstances.

 My prayer is that you too either possess this commitment, backed by faith in the One true God or are in the developmental process of building faith in Him. Either way, God will continue to bless you when you sustain your commitment to live the Christian life in this dark world. God bless!   

 “Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. Luke 11:35

 While sitting in Sunday School (Life Group) this morning, I noticed a number of light bulbs were burned out, creating dark spots across the room. At one time those bulbs shined brightly, but over time they eventually gave out.  

 With the thought of my observation this morning, today’s verse came to mind. As Christians, we are like a room full of light fixtures with light bulbs inserted. Some, shine brightly, while others are either faded dim or completely burnt out. The truth is, it can be difficult to live the Chrisitan life in this world full of ungodliness and moral depravity, combined with an eager enemy (Satan), always scheming to trip up those closest to Jesus Christ. As you take a moment to reflect upon your life, ask yourself if your light for Christ is shining brighter than when you accepted Him, or has the fiercest battles put a hole in your light?

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

 A good indicator that your light isn’t shining, if your daily walk is darkened by sinful pleasures and spending less time indulging in spiritual matters and more time in worldly affairs. If that’s you friend, you must seriously consider the sincerity of your Christian status. Darkness and light cannot co-exist. You are either the light of Christ or spiritually dead. There is no middle ground.

 If you claim to be a child of God, yet struggle to shine for Christ. Let me remind you who you are as a child of God. Let this verse be the encouragement you need to light up the darkest parts of your life.

 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10