“You of little faith, why are you so afraid? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” (Matthew 8:26)
Excerpts herein are from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest for August 12, The Theology of Rest.
“When we are in fear we can do nothing less than pray to God.” Even though God expects us to come to him in confidence when we pray, “our trust is in God only up to a certain point, and then we go back to the elementary panic prayers of those who do not know God. We get to our wits end, showing that we have not the slightest confidence in Him … He seems to be asleep, and we see nothing but breakers ahead.”
We can relate to Jesus’ disciples also to whom he said “O ye of little faith!”. “What a pang must have shot through the disciples – ‘Missed it again!’”
When there are no storms or crises in my life, I can be on top of the world, but when disappointments or crises come, I must consciously keep my focus on Christ so that I remain steadfast in Him. Otherwise, I succumb to my storms and sink below the waves.
Have you ever ridden a wave? I’ve never surfed, but I’ve watched surfers mount their surfboards and ride the wave. If they are experienced, they will ride the wave all the way into shore; if they are just learning to ride the wave, they will often fall, get back up and try again. Such is the Christian life.
God’s promises are like the crest of the wave. When I trust in God and believe in His promises, God makes it possible for me to stay atop the biggest waves, even though there is a powerhouse of energy under me that can pull me down. In Isaiah 43:2-3 it says “When you go through the sea, I’ll be there with you … for I am the Lord your God.”
Oswald Chambers also stated that “If we have been learning to worship God and to trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we will go the breaking point and not break in our confidence in Him.” So as a surfer stays tethered to his surfboard at the ankle by a cord so that he does not lose sight of his surfboard, a Christian’s stays tethered by a combination of things so that he does not lose sight of God.
Well, you ask – how can I do that in an awful situation? Here are some points to apply to your life when you incessantly worry about a bad situation, or you can’t fall asleep at night.
- Force yourself to think about God instead of your situation. “Whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
- In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).
- Fellowship with other believers.
- Rejoice always in the Lord (Philippians 4:4)
It’s a battle for your will, but if you force yourself to change how you think about things (Philippians 4:9), “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
Copyright 2017 by Bill Hutzel
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Bill,
This is a perfect message for me right now. I like all of the scriptures including Phil 4:7. Guarding our hearts and minds in Christ. Not giving in to the feelings or emotions.
The mind can be a battlefield. I like the imagery of the surfer riding the wave and going all the way to the shore. It’s not allowing the enemy to distract us or disarm us in the middle of the crisis. Fixing our eyes on Jesus all the way to the end of our circumstances. Great verses and examples, Bill . It looks like God is definitely working in your life and transforming your mind as your trials come and go.
God’s blessings to you!
CB
Dear Cate,
I don’t know if I will ever get to enjoy my storms as perhaps the surfers enjoy their rough surf, but I do know that Christ is the calming presence in the storm when I focus on him. In Daniel 3:25, Jesus was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, just as He is with us in our fiery furnace. They didn’t know their outcome, but they still had peace. I marvel at that. I desire that. All they knew was that God was with them and would see them through one way or the other, and as you said “Fixing our eyes on Jesus all the way to the end of our circumstances.”
Bill
Great writing! I love the verses and quotes you shared and the important actionable suggestions you put in bullet points. Thanks Bill! God bless you abundantly!
Thank you Sasha. I appreciate your encouragement. You too, are experiencing God’s real presence as I can see from your own writings. I read your emails often.
Bill
Great writing, Bill! One of my favorites from the King James Bible.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
And Psalm 23 , “The Lord is My Shepherd”
I never feel alone… I know He is always with me; He is a comfort. And I don’t fear death; I can’t wait to experience what awaits us after death (although I’m in no hurry to leave my loved ones anytime soon).
I am fascinated with Near Death Experiences as well. Are you?
Loved this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500769655&sr=1-1&keywords=neurosurgeon+near+death+experience
His experience, however, varies from many I’ve read which appeared similar.
Love, light and peace!.
Thanks, Geri. Hope all is well. It’s been quite a while since I have heard from you. Bill