Brown's Daily Word 8-14-08

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for summer season. Praise the Lord for the great outdoors. When our girls were young we made our annual pilgrimage to the beach. We have visited many of the beaches on the Atlantic. While in Orissa, India in our recent trip we drove to Gopalpore on the sea just for the day. Our Lord Jesus loved the beaches of the sea of Galilee.
One of the post-resurrection scenes is found at the sea of Galilee, as recorded in John 21. Another is recorded in Mathew 14. Jesus, who was walking on the water, invited Peter to join him on the water. This story is more than an event in a storm in far-off Palestine; it’s the sign and symbol of what He always does for His people, when the wind is contrary and we are in danger of being overwhelmed by the storms of life. Our Christian pilgrimage, much like being in a boat, is shaped by our experiences as we are rocked and tossed about by the storms of life. Yet, it’s when we’re confronted by the storms on the sea of life that the challenge to our faith becomes a reality. In the Scriptures, the “sea” is a powerful image of the turmoil of life’s experiences here on Earth. If we have ever suffered from sea-sickness we can be thankful that the book of the Revelation assures us that in heaven there’s no more sea! The “boat” in which we find ourselves is a metaphor of the Church, the Body of Christ. The disciples were unexpectedly caught up in a life-threatening situation. Their little craft was “buffeted by the waves”. The word used by Matthew means “tormented”, with the suggestion that the disciples were battling against cosmic forces of evil. It quickly becomes clear that there was a definite purpose in Jesus’ action, by the strength of the word used: He “compelled” the disciples to embark. This reminds us that the circumstances of Christians are not haphazard events that have been strung together, but planned by a loving Heavenly Father, who knows the end from the beginning. The disciples were at the start of a great faith adventure, something that we have in common with them, “in our short and uncertain earthly life and pilgrimage”. The story is set at night. The previous day Jesus had been ministering to the crowds who were now following Him. We read, “he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (14), and then He had met their physical needs by feeding them, miraculously, by five loaves and two fish. But, as nightfall came, Jesus “dismissed” the crowds and “went up into the hills by himself to pray”. The disciples were now in the middle of the lake. I don’t suppose the disciples remembered that while they were on the stormy water that Jesus was on the nearby hillside in prayer. The disciples could not see Jesus, but the GOOD NEWS is that the Lord knew all about them. His eyes were on them. It’s so easy for us, too, to forget that the Lord Jesus is now at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us. The letter to the Hebrews tells us that “because Jesus lives for ever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” (7:24,25). One of the sudden storms, for which the Galilee was notorious, had come down, and the disciples were struggling against the winds and the waves, making little progress across the lake. It was in the fourth watch of the night which runs from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., that the incident took place. If there’s a time when we feel most vulnerable, it’s in the dark and in the middle of the night. It is when we are naturally at our lowest ebb, body, mind and spirit, that difficulties loom largest. But take heart, Jesus knows all about them and that’s when He comes to meet us. When the wind of life is contrary, when we struggle to make sense of circumstances, we can guarantee that Jesus will be there to help although He may not be immediately detected. There are times when we are up against it – in disappointments and sorrows - when we feel we have failed ourselves and those whom we love. At such a time no-one need feel alone, for Jesus comes alongside in the storms of life, with hands stretched out to save, and with His calm clear voice urging us to take heart and have no fear. The disciples had already been terrified on a similar voyage across Galilee when they were fearful of drowning (8:23-27). On that occasion Jesus had been with them in the boat, even though He had been asleep until rudely awakened. But now they were on their own. Perhaps this tells us that there’s always more to learn on the Christian journey. God’s timescale is different from ours as He views our lives from His eternal perspective, so He’s never in a hurry. We would prefer a quick fix, a shortcut to perfection, but although God could instantly transform us, He’s chosen to develop us slowly. He prefers to work in incremental steps in our lives. This preparation for eternity sometimes requires surgery rather than therapy but one thing is sure. The Christian life doesn’t carry a certificate of immunity from the storms of life. It’s wonderfully reassuring to Remember that Jesus is Praying for us. In reading the story of the storm on the lake, we have the advantage of knowing that it all ended happily. It was not so for the disciples. In addition to their being buffeted by waves lashed by a howling gale, we’re told “they were terrified” by the figure they saw coming towards them! “'It’s a ghost', they said, and cried out in fear.’" How could the disciples not recognize Jesus? They had lived with Jesus in a very personal and intimate way and yet, when it really mattered, they didn’t recognize Him. In the midst of storms, tormented by waves of disappointment and doubt, they saw a ghost, an apparition. They certainly saw the figure of Jesus, but to them His appearance resembled that of a ghost. Perhaps rain or fog was responsible in addition to the poor light just before dawn. All too often the adverse circumstances of life obscure our recognition of Jesus, though he is with us.It’s easy to criticize the disciples, but what of us? The unexpected circumstances catch us also. The disciples were wrapped up in the struggles of the moment – the wind and rain, the tossing waves, the threat of drowning – but they missed a greater power, the living Christ. Although we believe Jesus for our salvation and know in our heads that He will supply all our needs, if we rely on our own strength we are sure to fall apart when life get tough, when everything appears to be contrary. The fact that we may have come through a trying experience is no guarantee that a more severe testing time won’t come at a later time. We never know what’s around the next corner. It’s a matter of perseverance. We are summoned to finish it well. The words of the song that Sir Harry Lauder wrote after his son was killed in action in World War I are very appropriate, “Ev’ry road thro’ life is a long, long road, Fill’d with joys and sorrows too.” We might wonder why God allows these trials to apparently mar our lives here on Earth. Rick Warren tells us in “The Purpose Driven Life” that there are no short cuts to maturity. It takes years for a child to grow to adulthood. The development of Christ-like character cannot be rushed. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time. Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi tells us, “I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns” (1:6). We must learn to Recognize the Presence of Jesus even in the storms of life. How gracious is our Lord! The disciples, brave Peter among them, ‘cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid”. The apostle Paul reassured his rather timid friend Timothy, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). “It is I” said Jesus. He was using the words, “I am”, the powerful name of “Yahweh”, Jehovah, the Lord God who revealed Himself to Moses. Jesus was signaling His claim to deity. God had given mankind the rule over His creation, including the sea and here, Jesus, as the Second Adam, was fulfilling God’s purpose for humankind. God has revealed Himself in Jesus as the Second Person of the Godhead. All religions that don’t accept Jesus as the Son of God are false - they are imposters. They have no power to save; they are merely ghosts bringing fear and dread.Thank God that if we’re “in Christ” we have the antidote to fear, “Don’t be afraid.” He still tells us today, “You can trust me. You know my character and my competence. You can safely place your destiny in my hands. “Take courage! It is I.”
It was at 3 a.m. that Jesus appeared, the least expected moment. There are many instances in Scripture when man’s dire distress became the meeting place with God. In fact, our extremity is God’s opportunity. Jesus didn’t climb into the boat but rather waited for a reaction to His words. Peter was a natural leader. Matthew presents him in the story in all his impetuosity mixed with his great devotion to Jesus, imperfect as it was. “Lord, if it’s you … let me come to you on the water.” An alternative translation is “Since it’s you …” The disciples had already done many mighty miracles when they’d been sent out into the towns and villages as Jesus’ representatives (Luke 10:17), and knew He could be trusted implicitly. Peter was sometimes given to acts of impetuosity so, without thinking what he was doing and without counting the cost. But wisely, Peter seeks the Lord’s invitation to join Him before he dares to step out of the boat. Similarly, we shouldn’t rush into dangerous ventures without clear encouragement from the Lord. As soon as Peter received the positive word “Come”, with remarkable trust he climbed over the side of the boat and began walking on the water. For a time Peter succeeded in doing the impossible, but then he succumbed to fear. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid.” It wasn’t the dangerous sea but a lesser, external circumstance, the wind, that brought on disaster. Why? Peter lost his focus. Like Peter, if we depend upon our own resources and shift our focus off Jesus, we will fail. He was doing well until he became more concerned about the wind than about faith in the word from Jesus.
What an example Peter is to us! How easy it is to let some setback catch us off balance and down we sink! It’s reassuring to know that the Lord is only a prayer away, and He will always respond to our cry, as He did for Peter, “Lord, save me!” It was a very short prayer, but so effective. Jesus stretched out His safe and strong hand and pulled Peter up with the words, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Failures are not an issue with God; it’s better to fail that not try at all! Peter got a mild rebuke for his weak faith but it was stronger than that of the other disciples who remained in the relative comfort and safety of the boat. It is how we respond that matters. Peter's faith faltered, but he was raised up to a life of service for his Master. The story of Walking on Water has been preserved for the benefit of Christians of all the centuries to tell us that our voyage across the lake of life will encounter storms because the non-Christian world is a hostile environment to the believer. But take heart, Jesus Prays for us and He’s Present with us. On our part we must Look to Him to Cope with Fear and To Move Out in Faith. Jesus still bids us, as He did with Peter, “Come, walk on the water with Me.”

In Christ ,
Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKKCZ3xyKzc