Crossing Raging Waters

“...The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry...The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth those who trust in him.”

Nahum 1:3-4,7 (KJV)

It seems no matter how enlightened we are, how in tune we are, or how righteous we think we are, there will be times when we find ourselves knee deep in troubled water. When the raging waters draw near we frantically search for something to hold on to. We look for a lifeline.

Some of us look to other people to rescue us. We worry our friends and family with our problems hoping to make our burdens their own. Others find temporary solace with drugs or alcohol. Maybe it’s cocaine or Prozac or Jack Daniels, anything as long as it temporarily numbs the pain. Still others are in denial - they pretend they don’t see the water rising around them. But many just fall on their knees and throw up their hands and say, “Lord help me.”

And He will. Maybe not when we want it, or the way we want it, but scripture tells us in Psalms 9:10 (NIV):

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”

We trust that God will lead us to calm waters. We pray to Our Father:

“Peace Be Still.”

It makes no difference if you are turning to the Lord for the first time or if you are a constant caller - He will hear your cry. Sometimes we don’t know what to say or how to say it, but, rest assured - He will hear your cry. Or maybe we’ve rejected Him for most of our lives and hate to admit that we need Him now, but don’t worry - He will hear your cry.

Challenges, disappointments, grief, problems, frustrations, we all have them. Don’t even think about navigating through them without the Lord. Let Him be your rock, your armor, and your anchor.

From This Far by Faith by Linnie Frank and Andria Hall (Doubleday,2000)

The Faith Formula

“Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 (God’s Word)

When we move ourselves and our expectations of how things are supposed to be out of the way, we lay the foundation for God’s blessings. Spiritual surrender is paramount if we are to experience the limitless blessings He has in store for us. God will lead us toward our good if we just let Him, but too often we get in the way of our own good. Be careful. Self imposed will can take us just where we intend it to. But, God’s will always leads us to where He wants us to be.

Here’s the deal - we can either let life unfold on its own - for it will- or decide to actively participate through prayer and faith in God’s plan for us. Here is the blueprint for Divinely Inspired Living. It is the Faith Formula:

Surrender (let go and let God) + Belief (know that God will lead you to your good) + Patience (wait on the Lord) = Faith

Don’t forget: The Lord helps those who help themselves, or as you've heard time and time again, if you take one step, He'll take two. That means waking up each day with the intent to let Him order your steps. If you stay open to the faith concept of Divinely Inspired Living, that, in and of itself is spiritual progress. Then watch what happens. And, if the path He has chosen for you at the time seems tough, thank Him anyway, right then and there. For even through the tough times, Divine order prevails, and we persevere and we grow.*

*from This Far by Faith: How to Put God First in Everyday Living by Linnie Frank and Andria Hall

My Soul Looks Back and Wonders....

"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;

seek his face always.

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,"

Psalms 105:1-5

When we think about where we are, versus where we could have been, or where we should have been, it sometimes sends a shiver up our spine. And when we wonder exactly what it was that set us straight and put us on the right path, we come to only one conclusion -- it wasn't us or anything we did! It was God's grace and mercy.

Left to our own devices we would still be holding on to our less that perfect past. Our fear of what lies ahead keeps us holding on to broken promises and shattered dreams. Some of us spend our whole lives afraid to move ahead because we don’t know what awaits us. This is where faith comes in! Faith that God will lead us to where it is that He wants us to be. Once we understand that God only wants what’s best for us, then we realize that regardless of the circumstances, He is leading us to our good. We can leave fear behind and pursue life with vigor and confidence.

When we look back on past situations in our lives, we are reminded of how God blessed us -- whether we were aware of it at the time or not. We remember moments when we didn’t have a dime and yet, we always had a place to eat and sleep. We recall situations that we thought we would never get out of and yet, we did. We think of all the daggers that were thrown our way -- some we saw, some we didn’t -- and, although some were able to pierce us, none were able to stop us. We are reminded that He took care of the big things as well as the small.


(*excerpt from This Far by Faith: How to Put God First in Everyday Living by Linnie Frank and Andria Hall)