Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Go deep

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 22, 23, 24; Psalm 64

II Samuel 22:17-20 (NIV)

17 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.

20 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Matthew 14:28-31 (NIV)

28 “Lord, if it is you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Good morning!

There are days when I feel really brave for Jesus. There are other days, when I simply wimp out. Do you know what I’m talking about? There are times when I believe with all my heart that if I can just see His face, I know I won’t drown. But if I take my eyes off of the Lord, for even a moment; if I doubt His ability to do what He has promised to do in me, I’m going to sink!

Sink or swim! Some mothers teach their children how to swim by letting them sink a little bit. Have you ever talked your little one into going back on the stage during a Christmas or Easter pageant after they ran to you in tears? How many times did you have to encourage your child to get on that school bus, or leave a sad little face crying in the arms of a daycare provider, because they just did not want you to leave them? One of the daycare programs we selected for our children had a plate glass window installed by the front door. We could see inside the room, but the children could not see outside. There were a few mornings when our babies did not want to let go of their Daddy’s hand or Mommy’s neck. They screamed and cried and clung to us like little wet noodles. The day care provider would gently take them from us and whisper, “Stay and watch. They will be fine.” And so, we would stay by the window, shaking our heads and choking back tears, as we watched our children suddenly calm down, and go play with their friends. Their reluctance for us to leave would dissipate as quickly as it came. As soon as we left the room, everything changed. What happened?

It wasn’t that our children had suddenly forgotten us. They knew that we would be back to get them at the end of the day. They knew that we were with them, even when they could not physically see us. And their fears began to subside. There are times in my life when I would rather sit at the foot of the cross than leave it to go out into the world. There are moments when I worry whether my faith will fold if I look away and forget to seek His face. Sometimes, we do end up on the deep end of life. We find ourselves barely treading water in a rough and windblown sea. You may feel like you are drowning today in a sea of sin. You’ve let your faith slide and now it’s beginning to pull you under, and you don’t know what to do. Or maybe you are having trouble breathing because of some pain gripping your heart today – maybe it is chronic, physical illness, or maybe you are grieving the loss of someone you do not want to live another moment without. There are many times we find ourselves out in the deep water, wondering if this is where our life will meet its end.

Did you notice how Jesus grabbed Peter and pulled him up just as he was sinking away? Can you see how the Lord brought David up, took hold of his life, and placed him in a spacious place of security? I am here to tell you today that God sees you. He knows you. He understands the pain you are in. And He will not let you sink. Cry out to Jesus today. We do not have to doubt His Word. When Peter doubted, and began to sink. Jesus saved him, just like he saves you and me.

If you find yourself out in the deep, do not doubt the power of Christ in you. Even when his face is hard to see, hold on to your faith. Go deep! And the let the Lord of life be your anchor, your rescuer, your Savior, and your friend.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: courage to venture out into the deep, knowing that He will be with you. If you find yourself sinking today, cry out to Jesus. He will not let you drown, no matter where you are – He will find you if you seek Him.

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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

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