Monday, May 21, 2012,
6:28 a.m. – The Lord woke me this morning with the song “Your Grace Divine.” Speak, Lord, for
your servant is listening. I read Matthew
14 (quoting vv. 22-36 NIV 1984):
Immediately Jesus made
the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while
he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a
mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the
boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves
because the wind was against it.
During the fourth
watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the
disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,”
they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately
said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,”
Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down
out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the
wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus
reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did
you doubt?”
And when they climbed
into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped
him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
When they had crossed
over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized
Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their
sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak,
and all who touched him were healed.
My Understanding: Herod
heard reports about Jesus. He decided that Jesus was a “risen from the dead”
John the Baptist, and that is why Jesus had such miraculous powers at work in
him. Herod had previously arrested John and had him placed in prison because
John confronted him with his unlawful act of taking his brother’s wife to be
his own. Herod wanted to kill John, but did not do so for fear of the people
who considered him a prophet. Yet, he made an unwise promise to a young girl
whose dance pleased him, and thus he felt forced (obligated) to keep the
promise. He had John beheaded, and his head brought to the girl on a platter. The
girl then gave it to her mother (Herodias), who had given the girl the idea. John’s
disciples took John’s body and buried it, and then they told Jesus. “When Jesus
heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place” (V.13a).
Compassion
When the crowds heard about this, they followed Jesus on
foot. When Jesus landed his boat, he was met by this crowd. Even though he was
most certainly saddened by the news of John’s beheading, and we cannot even
begin to fathom all that was going through his mind at that time, yet he had
compassion on the crowd and he healed their sick. He put aside his own feelings
and cared for the needs of others. He also saw that they were hungry, and so he
miraculously fed five thousand men plus women and children with just five
loaves of bread and two fish, and had leftovers to boot.
What a great example to us of a servant’s heart that we can
all learn from and pattern our own lives after. I pray, Lord, that you will
teach me to be a servant like this. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Immediately!
After the people had been fed, Jesus sent his disciples to
go ahead of him by boat to the other side. Then, he went up on a mountainside
to pray. He still needed that time to himself and with the Father. That had
been interrupted earlier by the crowds coming to Jesus and Jesus responding
with compassion. So now he resumed that time.
He has set the example for us here, too, of our need to have
time to ourselves to pray to our Lord. We need that time for our relationship
with the Lord, for our own mental and spiritual strength and encouragement, to
guide, lead, counsel and instruct us in the right way to go, and to strengthen
and empower us for ministry, too.
I pray, Lord, for the wisdom to know when it is necessary
for me to be alone with you, and when it is more important, at that time, to
leave my time alone with you and to show love and compassion to others in
meeting their needs. Give me a discerning spirit to know that correct balance I
pray in Jesus’ name.
Take Courage!
It was now evening. I don’t know how long Jesus had been on
the mountainside in his time of prayer with the Father. Yet, some time had
passed because the boat was already “a considerable distance from land.” The
boat was suffering the ill effects of some strong wind and waves.
Between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. (the fourth watch of the night)
Jesus went to them, walking on the water (on the lake). The disciples were
terrified. They thought he was a ghost. I love Jesus’ words back to them: “Take
courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Awesome! I love it when he speaks those
words to me during times when I feel afraid or am confused over some
circumstances in my life.
Jesus was assuring them that he was in control. We don’t
have to fear things we don’t understand or be afraid of the results of storms
we are presently going through. Jesus is with us. He will give us all we need.
He knew this was going to happen. And, he has a plan and a purpose for it in
our lives if we will but trust him with the results.
Lord Jesus, I pray for the strength and courage to trust you
in all the circumstances of my life, to be sensitive to those times when I need
to be alone with you, to be equally as sensitive to those times when I need to
show love and compassion to others and to forget my own needs, and to believe
that you have orchestrated all aspects of my life for your divine purposes and
for your glory. Amen!
If It’s You
Peter’s doubt began before he ever stepped on the water. I
don’t know if I ever noticed that before. The Lord had just told them to not be
afraid, to have courage, and to assure them that indeed it was him walking to
them and not a ghost. Yet Peter responded “If it’s you…”
Jesus agreed to Peter’s request, nonetheless, and he told
him to come to him on the water. Jesus certainly knew that Peter did not have
the faith to walk on the water, yet he allowed him to come. I think sometimes
the Lord allows us to step out in areas where we think we have the faith to
make it only to reveal to us that we are lacking in faith and that we need to
trust him more. He allows us to go ahead, and even to make fools of ourselves
sometimes, because we didn’t listen to him the first time he spoke to us,
because we thought we knew better or we thought we understood what he would
have us do. Yet, he knows, too, that those times when our faith is weak will
ultimately reveal to us just how much we need the Lord and that we cannot go
this alone.
We began with doubts but stepped out anyway, so when life’s
difficult situations present themselves to us, we shake in our boots and we
begin to crash in despair. Yet, that recognition that we can’t do it should
lead us to call on Jesus to save us. It is in those times that Jesus’ compassion
takes over and he reaches out his loving hand to us and catches us from
drowning.
He may chide us for our lack of faith, too, but that’s ok
because he loves us and he’s just letting us know how very much he does not
want to see us drown and how much he longs for us to believe in him and to know
that he is working always in our behalf, and that his plans and purposes for us
will prevail. Jesus will reveal to us that he is not oblivious, unconcerned,
uncaring or thoughtless about what we are going through, but that he cares very
much. He may not calm the physical circumstances we are going through, but he
will bring peace and calm to our hearts when we stop fretting and we begin
praying and trusting.
Lord Jesus, I pray that you will always let me know when I
lack faith and when I need to trust you more, that you will teach me what I
need to learn through the trials of my life, that you will give me the faith,
strength and courage and wisdom I need to respond correctly to life’s
situations that present themselves to me every day, and that you will grow me
in your grace, teaching me to love with your love. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Your Grace Divine
/ An Original Work / November 6, 2011
All I have is Yours,
Lord.
You gave all to me,
When You died at
Calv’ry
On that cruel tree.
Crucified for my sins;
You paid what I owe,
So I’d be forgiven;
My God come to know.
All I have is Yours,
Lord.
You gave all to me,
When You died at
Calv’ry
On that cruel tree.
Lord, I am so thankful
For Your grace divine.
I invited You, Lord,
In this heart of mine.
I have been forgiven
For all of my sins,
So I’d live with
Jesus;
His grace flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful
For Your grace divine.
I invited You, Lord,
In this heart of mine.
Growing in Your grace,
Lord;
Live for You each day;
How I love to worship
You throughout my day.
Sitting at Your feet,
Lord,
List’ning to You
speak,
Leads me to love You,
Lord,
More throughout the
week.
Growing in Your grace,
Lord;
Live for You each day;
How I love to worship
You throughout my day.
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