Sleeping Jesus is still Sovereign Jesus

What sort of man is this? (Matthew 8:27)

You aren’t usually involved in what’s going on around you when you’re fast asleep. You don’t respond to questions, solve problems, or do physical activities—like bail out a boat. So it makes sense that the disciples thought Jesus was off duty and unaware of the tempest bearing down on them. What they found out, though, is that Jesus never stops being in control, even when he is asleep. It turned out that sleeping Jesus was still sovereign Jesus. 

The disciples hadn’t yet grasped that Jesus was Lord and God when they were caught up in the storm. But they received two insights that night: they saw that Jesus was always concerned for their well-being—even when he appeared to be dozing. And they learned that his power extended over the forces of nature.

After he calmed the storm, Jesus asked the disciples, “Why are you terrified?” (Matthew 8:26). In light of the power he had just shown them, his question makes sense. There was a lot more to Jesus than they knew, and they had just seen another glimpse of it. He showed them that they could trust him, that he could take care of them no matter what their situation. 

There is nothing Jesus can’t handle! His authority extends over angels, demons, the universe—and over human hearts, minds, and souls. This Jesus, who is Lord and God, cares for us. He cares for you. At times you may feel like Jesus is asleep in the boat. You may feel alone, without guidance or help. In difficult times like these, try to remember that Jesus is still Lord.

Here’s an idea for the next time you feel overwhelmed: try to stop and pray the Creed. Let this ancient prayer remind you about who Jesus is. Let it help you recall that he is “God from God, Light from Light,” and “seated at the right hand of the Father”—even if you don’t see him. Let it remind you that “for our salvation he came down from heaven,” and “for our sake he was crucified.” These are the stable, solid truths you can stand on when you’re in the middle of a storm. Always remember: sleeping Jesus is still sovereign Jesus. 

from wau.org

Counter trials with trust

When you come to serve the Lord . . . prepare yourself for trials. (Sirach 2:1) 

“Prepare yourself for trials”? That’s a phrase you might expect a drill sergeant to say to new recruits. Or a man might say it to his son who is raising teenagers. But serving God? What does that mean?

Sirach rightly understood that people who try to serve the Lord are certain to face spiritual trials like discouragement and anxiety—and all manner of challenges that will tempt them to give up their goals. That’s why he is encouraging his readers to gear up for these trials, just as a soldier or a father would prepare for the hands-on challenges of their vocation.

So what is Sirach’s specific advice? To guard against discouragement, he urges us to be “sincere of heart” (Sirach 2:2). In other words, when faced with adversity, we should be honest with God. Don’t think he doesn’t care. Instead, tell him your troubles in a spirit of faith and hope. Cast your cares on him, confident that he will care for you (1 Peter 5:7). 

As for anxiety, Sirach tells us, “Hold on! Wait a little longer!” You might be tempted to give up on God’s love in a small—or big—area of your life. But this is exactly the moment to cling to him all the more! Tell God, “I trust you—I know you won’t give up on me.” Say it over and over if you need to, until your heart is at rest. This may be hard, but think of it as an act of faith. And if there is anything that moves God’s heart, it’s faith.

Finally, there is self-pity. Absorbed in our troubles, we can feel like we are the only person in our predicament. But Sirach encourages us to reflect on heroes of the past like Abraham or Esther, people who trusted in God’s faithfulness and were saved. Or look back on your own story. Chances are you’ll find similar instances of God working in you, stories that nudge you to be grateful, even in the face of trials.

Remember, all servants of God will face spiritual trials. But with tools like sincerity, trust, and gratitude, you will be better prepared to face them when they come.

“Lord, I want to cling to you. Help me to counter trials with trust.”

from wau.org

Learning to say YES (Luke 5: 1-11)

Even as I begin my brief sharing today, I would like us to first appreciate the context of the reading. Before the time of Jesus just a few Israelites plied the fishing trade. Infact, it is reported that the Hebrews even had just one reference for fish which covered a list of other sea creatures; however at the time of Jesus a small flourishing fishing industry had surfaced around the Sea of Galilee or Gennesaret. 

In verse 1, we read that Jesus went to stand by the Lake of Gennesaret where he decided to teach the crowds about the word of God. He could have chosen to teach the people at any other place at that point in time. He could have chosen the countryside, market place, synagogue, to mention but a few. All these locations would always have a large crowd of people. But here, He decided to be at the location of the fishermen. This was no mean coincidence. I am convinced that this was a strategic action, as we observe in verse 3 where He got into the specific boat belonging to Simon. He was there for an encounter with Simon and his partners. I believe the Lord wants to remind and encourage us today, that He desires and purposes to meet us where we are. The fact that you are even here on the prayerline is not by chance. He is aware of your location at this stage in your life, He is aware of what ever situation or challenges you might be going through and He desires that you encounter Him through it all. He wants us to say YES to Him. 

In verse 3 we read that Jesus got into Simons boat and asked Him to put out a little from the shore. Simon and his partners had been fishing all night, and would have been mending his nets at the shore as was the usual custom. It is likely he was exhausted, busy with fixing the nets and even frustrated by their failure to catch any fish (verse 5). But he said YES to the request of the master. What has the Lord been asking of you? What has He been laying on your heart through the numerous homilies and exaltations, through your quiet time messages and messages from friends, and sometimes through the seemingly trivial occurrences in your life? And what is your response to Him? We are all very aware of the excuses we tend to give sometimes; busy at work, tired from work, frustrated with my situation...the list goes on. We see the same scene in our text, but today the Lord wants us to learn from Simon, and say YES to Him. We notice that as Simon said yes to Jesus, He taught the people from his boat. I believe that as we learn to say YES to the Lord He will use our lives as sources of nourishment and refreshment to all who come into contact with us. 

In verse 4, Jesus commanded Simon to “put out into deep water and, and let down the nets for a catch”. Simon and his men were experienced fishermen well abreast with the skills of the trade and were no strangers to the Sea of Galilee. They knew that it was best to fish at night as was the usual custom, since the water is cooler and the fish are more active. But here they were, having worked hard with all their knowledge and experience, receiving instructions from a carpenter about fishing. It was well within their right to have mocked Jesus’ suggestion and left, but they said YES. Today, the Lord wants us to learn to say YES despite our experience and knowledge. I have come to realise, especially during these times of an abundance of philosophical arguments and concepts, how much the seeming logic and knowledge is depriving people of an experience of the Lord. Sometimes the commands and promptings of the Lord may seem to defy the norm but He still wants us to learn to say YES. Verse 5 ends by telling us that “when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break”. The Lord reminds us here of His omniscience and omnipotence and that learning to say YES to Him at all times will always end in success and astonishment. 

The text ends with Simon and his partners- James and John, leaving everything to follow Jesus. Here we learn that at the end of the day, it is about our personal relationship with the Lord. That even as He uses us for great things as we say YES to Him, the focus should not be on the accomplishment but the focus should rather be on knowing Him more. Today let us learn to say YES to Him and continue to trust that His commands and promptings to us are always good so that we may be like the man who built his house on the foundation of rock; when the flood came and the torrent struck that house could not shake. Luke 6:48. Amen.             

Jesus, our daily impact

If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins. (John 8:24)

“You can’t handle the truth!” That’s what Colonel Jessup tells a young lawyer during a tense moment in the movie A Few Good Men.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells some of his enemies the truth, and they can’t handle it: “If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). His opponents have been testing him, calculating how they can best catch him off guard, but Jesus doesn’t react in kind. Rather, he tells them plainly that they need him because he is the Messiah. Such a radical claim might have been too much to swallow, but that didn’t stop Jesus. They had to know the truth, even if it filled them with rage. 

Thank God this doesn’t have to be our response! Rather, Jesus’ words, even his uncomfortable ones, can fill our hearts with hope. Why the different response? Faith. It is the gift of faith that makes Jesus’ words a blessing for us. Believing that he is “I am,” the Savior and Redeemer, puts us on a new path. It changes the way we look at everything—our loved ones, our enemies, our challenges, ourselves—everything. 

Jesus died and rose again to give us eternal life. This is the central truth of our faith. And this truth, unlike other facts like 2+2=4, isn’t static. Like the current of a river, this truth runs swift and sure into the ocean of God’s love. When we let ourselves get caught up in it, places in our lives where we once may have been discouraged or fearful are washed away. We sense God’s presence. We know he has a plan for our lives, and we trust him more and more.

The truth that Jesus is your Savior can impact you every day. It can help you turn to him for help in all kinds of challenges. It can move you to seek his guidance and wisdom. And it can spur you on to share the great good news with everyone you know. May the truth of Jesus become the one truth that everyone can handle!

from wau.org

"Childlike" maturity

Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4)

Have you ever seen a child jump fearlessly into a pool toward the outstretched arms of her father or mother? Blissfully trusting in her parent’s protection, she knows no fear! What a wonderful image this can be for us as children of God—joyful, faithfully delighting in the protection of One so much stronger than us. 

When Jesus called us to become like little children, he was inviting us to regain our childhood innocence. When we are young, we are all ready to believe in a good God who watches over us and sends angels to guide our way. But as we grow older, these comforting images can lose their power. Life can wear us down and make us cynical. We may begin to doubt God’s desire to remain close to us. We may begin to question the reality of his angelic guardians. Faced with the inevitable pressures of life, we may begin to believe—or resign ourselves to the belief—that we are alone in the universe, reluctant masters of our fate with no one to guide us.

Jesus wants to free us from any sense of isolation or self-sufficiency that is holding us back. He wants to awaken in us that original joy and innocence we experienced when we first knew of his personal abiding love. True maturity as a Christian is not a matter of increased independence from God but a deeper dependence on him! After all, it is he who constantly provides for our health, our relationships, our finances, our very life and breath!

Today, ask the Holy Spirit to do a special work in you. Ask him to help you view all the events of your day with the eyes of a child who knows the Father’s intimate love. If this is difficult, ask him for healing so that you can open your heart to him. Your heavenly Father wants you to come to him with every concern, no matter how small, and trust that his angels are watching over you. Let him reassure you with his love and support.

from wau.org

Looking forward- 2015

The Lord bless you and keep you! (Numbers 6:24)

A young boy returning to school after the holidays was asked if he liked his new class. “No,” he answered. “There must be something you like,” his parents prodded. “Nothing.” “Can’t you think of one good thing?” “Leaving at the end of the day” was all he could muster.

Sometimes we are like that young boy; we’d rather stay in the past than move forward to an unknown future, even if that future is full of potential. The Israelites acted no differently during their journey to the Promised Land. Scripture tells us that they complained often, even wanting to return to slavery in Egypt. So God sought to encourage them, as we see in this beautiful prayer of blessing.

What did this blessing mean for God’s people? Well, it wasn’t a guarantee of automatic victory over all their enemies—but neither did it require them to be perfect. No, it was an indiscriminate blessing, meant to tell the people that God would be with them no matter what they faced.

We too are on a journey, and as this new year unfolds, we will undoubtedly meet with good fortune as well as challenging obstacles. But no matter what comes our way, one thing will be constant: God’s blessing. In victory or defeat, in confidence or instability, we can still know our Father’s presence, his wisdom, and his guidance.

Mary is a perfect example of one who relied on God’s blessing. When a sword pierced her soul at Calvary, when her Son was ridiculed and beaten, and even when he ascended to heaven and left her alone, Mary remained full of grace because she continued to trust in God’s providence. So as this year opens, choose to be like Mary, and surrender yourself to the Lord. If you look closely enough, you will find God’s blessings wherever you go!

“Father, I dedicate this year to you. I trust in all the blessings you have in store for me.”

from

wau.org

Freedom and Peace

They made idols for themselves. (Hosea 8:4)

Ornately carved dragons, stoic Buddhas, calves, bulls, even human forms with animal heads—the ancient world offered an extraordinary variety of idols. Today, we’re more likely to treat athletes, rock stars, or luxury cars as idols. But in the end, an idol is anything that we allow to influence our thoughts, emotions, and actions more than it should. Perhaps the Pharisees who opposed Jesus idolized their own narrow observance of Judaism. So when Jesus came neither looking nor acting as they thought he should, they plotted against him.

Here’s the thing about idols: they’re tricky. They can have great sway over us, yet not appear as idols at all! But if something erodes your peace, causes your heart to tremble, or drives rational thoughts from your head, there’s probably some kind of idolatry behind it. 

That’s not to say that we’re all idolaters who willingly and greedily bow down to the modern world’s false gods. It’s hard to find someone who “worships” money or someone who is truly “obsessed” with gaining power. Still, if the everyday ups and downs of the stock market send you into a panic or if the slightest tickle in your throat brings on visions of a fatal illness, then something has a greater hold on you than it should. 

It doesn’t have to be this way! Nothing has to rob you of your peace or your trust in the Lord. If you can get into the habit of guarding and examining your thoughts during the day, you’ll find yourself more peaceful. Just try to be aware of the thoughts that grip your imagination, and see where they lead you. Don’t engage in a witch hunt; just take a look at what goes on inside of you. If the thoughts are making you more agitated or more self-focused, try to redirect them. 

For example, tell yourself, “God holds my life in his hand, and nothing can snatch me away.” Or “God is a God of hope; I know he can satisfy the longings of my heart.” Where you find fear or gridlock in your heart, take it to your heavenly Father. Remember that he sent his Son to give you freedom and peace!

“Jesus, you are the one true God! Teach me how to find my hope in you. Lord, I want to know the peace that comes from surrendering to you.”

from wau.org

Limits

Ahab went home disturbed and angry. (1 Kings 21:4)

Limits are a part of life. Games work only if everyone follows the rules. Chaos reigns in a society without laws. But how do you view limits in your life? It’s tempting to consider them as inconvenient impositions—as limits to our freedom that keep us from doing what we want. But today’s reading shows what can happen if there were no limits. 

Ahab, king of Israel, wanted a vineyard that one of his subjects, Naboth, owned. But the Law of Moses decreed that God had given the land to the people of Israel, and it was not to be sold out of the family. This was so that no family could be shut out of the covenant by losing their ancestral inheritance. This was, after all, the land that God had promised to Abraham and his descendants forever. It was a very physical sign of their covenant with him, proof positive that they were his chosen, beloved people. But Ahab didn’t see it that way. All he could see was the convenience of having a vineyard located right next to his vegetable garden.

Since Naboth wasn’t free to sell the land, Ahab went away in a sulk. Queen Jezebel reminded Ahab that he was king; he could do whatever he wanted. Then, to prove her point, she took matters into her own hands and had Naboth murdered.

Two points stand out in today’s reading: First, how easy it can be to respond to limits the same way Ahab and Jezebel did! If we can’t get what we want, we sulk. If we can somehow disregard the limits, we go for it. Second, how challenging it can be to respond as Naboth did! He could have made a lot of money out of Ahab’s offer. He might have even suspected that his refusal to sell would have angered the queen. But he knew what God had commanded, and he stayed true. 

Naboth respected the limits God placed on his people, and it cost him his life. We will probably not face martyrdom for our faith, but every day brings us the opportunity to “die” to ourselves so that Christ can live in us. Let’s trust him. Let’s embrace his limits as the life-giving protections that they are!

“Lord, I trust you. Draw me closer to you through the limits in my life.”

~from wau.org

go all in

The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth. (1 Kings 17:14)

Have you ever heard the poker term “going all in”? It’s when you take your chips and throw them all in during one hand. When you go all in, you know you have the chance to win it all—or to lose absolutely everything.

Today’s first reading has a similar “going all in” feel to it, but the stakes are much higher than a poker game. People here are gambling with their lives!

Even though God has kept the prophet Elijah hidden and protected him from Queen Jezebel’s death threats, God now tells him to go to a widow who lives in Jezebel’s homeland of Zarephath. Knowing how dangerous such a journey could be, Elijah goes all in. He leaves his safe haven and travels across the drought-ridden land to find the woman.

For showing such faith, Elijah is rewarded. He discovers that this widow is also willing to go all in with the Lord—even though she is a pagan with no connection to the God of Israel! She puts her life and the life of her son at risk, trusting that God will do what he has promised through this wandering prophet.

How about you? Have there been times in your life when you decided to go all in with the Lord? Perhaps by choosing one vocation over another or by finding the courage to finally confess a long-standing sin. Have you ever done this and not been rewarded by the Lord? Of course not!

But it’s not just in the major events that we can take steps like this. Every day offers us numerous opportunities to decide whether we are going to remain all in with the Lord. “How should I respond when people at work start to gossip?” “What should I say when a friend asks why I go to church?” “Is there anything I can do for that poor fellow on the street corner?” Each and every decision we make is an opportunity to affirm that we are “all in” with Christ.

Throw in all your chips, and see what kind of reward the Lord has waiting for you.

“Lord, help me go all in with you today. Teach me to entrust my whole life to you.”

from wau.org

skewed thoughts

The Sadducees, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the apostles and put them in the public jail. (Acts 5:17-18)

How would you describe the feeling of jealousy? To some, it is an all-too-familiar stinging, burning, aching of the soul. According to Scripture, “Jealousy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30). How unpleasant!

Why do we allow ourselves to get this way? Well, for one thing, there’s self-centeredness involved—at least with the unholy, garden variety jealousy. We can’t handle seeing someone else have something that we want, so we become angry, resentful, and jealous. But there’s more to the story than this.

Think about how the Sadducees saw the apostles performing wonders and gaining the favor and awe of the people. When they should have been focusing their “seeing” on God—specifically, what he was doing in that moment and how he was being expressed in the apostles’ miraculous signs—they didn’t. Instead of seeing what God was doing and joyfully joining him in it, they stayed outside. They watched the disciples perform miracles until they were so filled with envy that they couldn’t see clearly. 

Maybe we could think about jealousy as a matter of misplaced vision and skewed perception. Vision, because instead of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and his love and mercy toward us, we fix our gaze on someone else. And perception, because while we’re so distracted with the specific gifts, talents, and blessings that God has given another person, we can’t possibly perceive all that he has given us. How can we discover that we are fearfully and wonderfully made with awesome gifts and talents of our own? How can we live like the person who God made us to be when we are so focused on the way other people are?

The best way to avoid being “filled with jealousy” is to fill ourselves with better things. Fill your mind with the truths of God’s promises and his grace. Fill your heart with his love and mercy. Let these be the things you reflect on every day. And when someone else is doing well or is getting something that you want, it will be that much easier to rejoice with them and then get on with being who God called you to be.

“I praise you, Lord, because I am wonderfully made. “Wonderful are your works!” (Psalm 139:14)

~form wau.org

I am

Before Abraham came to be, I am. (John 8:58)

Occasionally, someone says something just plain appalling. You catch your breath. You gape momentarily in astonishment. You probably don’t pick up stones to throw, although it’s possible you begin firing mental missiles: How dare he! What was she thinking! That’s something like the Jews’ outraged reaction—including actual stones—when Jesus announced, “Before Abraham came to be, I am.” Shocking!

Fortunately for us, two thousand years of revelation and teaching have given us an edge in understanding Jesus’ claim. So who is this “I am”?

I am your shepherd. I lead you and direct you in the way you should go. I provide for you along the way: rest and restoration, wisdom and understanding, goodness and mercy. I am your strength, both the strength of your life and the One who strengthens you when you feel weak. I deliver you from the bonds of sin, foolishness, and hopelessness. I heal your illnesses, addictions, rage, and bitterness. I have redeemed you, and you are mine. I have saved you, and daily I make you holy and fruitful.

I am love. I love you. I know you better than you know yourself, and still I love you. I am present everywhere you are, with you in your suffering, fear, and loneliness; in your joy, successes, and celebrations. I hear every prayer and every word you whisper.

I am your righteousness. What you could never earn or deserve—an intimate, ever-deepening relationship with me—I have made possible for you. And when your sin injures or breaks that relationship, I am still your righteousness, the way of reparation and restoration.

I am the almighty God, everlasting Father, the One who was and is and is to come. I, the Most High God and sovereign Lord of all creation, come to you. I delight in you. I delight in speaking to you and hearing from you. I confer my power and authority on you. I fill you with my Holy Spirit, who gives you the energy to do the things I call you to do. The whole universe cannot contain me, yet I am dwelling in your heart.

I am Jesus, your Redeemer and Brother.

“Holy God, lift me up, and inspire me to live in the knowledge of who you are.”

taken from wau.org

Ask … seek … knock. (Matthew 7:7)

Ask … seek … knock. (Matthew 7:7)

There are a lot of less than ideal things we do just to save time. Fast-food restaurants are convenient, but we know that they’re not as nutritious as a home-cooked meal. Speed-reading courses help us get through a book quickly, but we risk coming away with less depth and clarity than if we had taken our time. If you’re single, you may have even tried speed dating and ended up meeting a lot of people, but only superficially.

Clearly, there are some things you shouldn’t hurry!

That’s also true in the spiritual realm. Sometimes we want something so badly that we try to take shortcuts. Maybe we set out to find peace or fulfillment on our own, when we might do better to listen for what God has to say. Later we realize that if we had taken time out to ask, seek, and knock, we would have found something far deeper, something that doesn’t ebb and flow with our circumstances.

If you want to see good and lasting results, you need to exercise your faith and trust. And sometimes, that means waiting patiently for the Lord to act. When we wait on the Lord like this, it shows that we believe that he hears us. It shows that we trust that he will give us bread, not a stone.

God will take care of you! He will answer you in the way that’s best for you—and at the time that is most helpful for you. A good father doesn’t always give his children exactly what they want when they want it. He knows it is far better to give what that child needs, when he needs it, in the way that will help him the most.

What do you need the Lord to help you with? Go ahead and ask him for it. Tell him that you’re willing to wait for his wisdom and his timing. As you do, you’ll find him eager to fulfill your needs and to further the plan he has for you in just the way he has intended. He really does want to bless you!

“Lord, open my eyes to your wisdom and generosity. Thank you for being not just a provider but a Father who wants the very best for me and for those I love.”

taken from wau.org 

Let go of the controls

They had only one loaf. (Mark 8:14)

A young woman who had recently begun serving as a missionary was talking to people who were interested in working with her. She recounted that when she first arrived, she was overwhelmed by the conditions: primitive housing and sanitation, high unemployment, and rampant crime. She soon realized that her education didn’t matter half as much as she thought it would. “It’s your faith that matters,” she said, “not your abilities.” 

The disciples in today’s reading probably could have related to what this young woman was saying. Just before this episode, they had seen Jesus multiply loaves and fishes to feed a massive crowd—and they still had seven baskets of leftovers. But after they got into the boat, they realized that they had left all those baskets on the shore. All they had with them was one loaf of bread. It seems they were counting on being able to feed the next crowd of people with the leftover miracle bread, and now they were disappointed.

Their reaction must have been a little frustrating for Jesus, considering all that they had seen him do! Still, he reminded them, again, about what he could do with just a little bit of bread. He also warned them against the “leaven of the Pharisees,” or the tendency to take God out of the equation and try to control every situation. He knew that too much self-reliance can lead to a kind of perfectionism and anxious worrying that drains faith of its power and promise.

We are all like the disciples in one way or another. We all like to be in charge and have things under control. But we need to be careful not to try to control everything, because that’s when we risk limiting the Lord or pushing him out of the picture. This is especially true when we are faced with a particularly challenging situation and feel that we don’t have enough “bread.”

Don’t let this happen! You may have only one loaf, but that’s more than enough for the Lord. If he can feed thousands with just a little more than that, surely he can take anything you offer him and fill it with his power and grace!

“Lord, help me to forget about what I can’t do and focus on what you can do. Take all that I have today and use it for your glory!”

taken from wau.org