Whispers

We've all heard it.  It's that little voice that is barely audible, but just loud enough to drown out everything else.  That voice that we don't even realize we hear until the message it is telling us is soooo ingrained in our minds that we think it is part of us. It speaks so quietly that we don't even realize it.  It whispers things in our ears that make us second guess ourselves and the work that we are doing for the Lord.  The more we listen, the easier it becomes to believe it. What voice am I talking about you may ask?  The voice of the Father of Lies... Satan.

He only has a small bag of tricks, but he knows how to use them.

It is interesting that as I talk to people, I hear the same lie over and over again in their lives.  You see, Satan loves to tell us that we are alone.  That we are the only ones that feel the way we do.  That if we share what we are feeling with anyone else, they won't understand or worse, they will think us weak for it.  If we share with anyone else we will be vulnerable, placing our heart out for them to see... and what if they throw it on the ground to trample underfoot?

What. A. Lie.

You see, he knows that if we feel alone we will also feel insecure about the ministry the Lord has given us.  He knows than an insecure Christian, is a weak Christian, and those are his favorite kind.  These are the kind that doesn't really have to worry about, because he knows that they are highly unlikely to go to someone for help.  He has them right where he wants them to be and he loves it.


I ask you, what lies has the devil been whispering to you?  Has he been telling you that you are alone? Has he been telling you that what you are doing for the Lord is not enough?  I beg you... do not listen to this lie of the devil.  Do not allow him to make you think you must distance yourself from other believers for fear of rejection or of being misunderstood.  Do not allow him to make you think that you are alone.  The Bible tells us to share our burdens, our anxieties, our hopes with each other.  That, along with the grace of God, is what allows us to live in unity with one another as the Body of Christ.

Walking on the Waves

Life is full of storms.  I've been experiencing one in my own life these past couple months.  I've spent much time in prayer begging God to calm it or to change things and have felt no answer.  It seemed at times that He was not there or was not listening to my desperate pleas for help.  I was sinking... and I heard no answer. No comforting whisper, saying "I am still here. I still care."  The storm and the voice of Satan and his demons were too loud.  Those voices drowned out the one voice that mattered.  The voice that was trying to tell me "I love you. I am doing this for a reason.  Your work for me is NOT in vain."

It's interesting that the Bible records two literal storms that the disciples experienced.   The first is in Matthew 8:23-27.  In this passage, Jesus has just spent an entire day preaching and healing people.  He is exhausted and so when He gets in the boat with His disciples to cross to the other shore, He falls asleep in the bottom of the boat.  While they are traveling across a big storm arises and the disciples are scared out of their wits.  They look to Jesus for help only to find that HE IS SLEEPING!! They cry out to Him saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" (verse 25).  Jesus then commands the waves and the winds to stop! With a single word, He calmed the great storm that had the disciples so afraid.  You see, God can calm the storms in our life.  It may seems like He is sleeping, but HE IS THERE! He is ALWAYS with us, even when it seems like we are alone.

The other storm that the disciples experienced takes place in Matthew 14:22-32.  In this passage, the disciples are crossing the sea by themselves.  A great wind comes and they are desperately trying to keep the boat afloat.  All of the sudden, they see what they think is a ghost coming towards them.  It is Jesus, walking on the water.  They are amazed!! I mean, come on... wouldn't you be? I know I would.  And then what does Peter do?  He says, "Lord, if it is you tell me to come to you on the water." (verse 28).  Jesus tells him to come and Peter steps out in faith.  However, he takes his eyes off of Jesus and starts to sink... but Jesus saves him.  They then walk back to the boat TOGETHER.  Not until they reach the boat does Jesus calm the wind.

You see, sometimes God doesn't calm the storm.  Sometimes, He asks us to step out onto those stormy waves and walk on them.  However, He never makes us go alone.  No, He is always there holding our hand as we walk on those stormy waters.

I mentioned the storm in my life earlier.  I was begging God to do what He had done with the disciples in the first passage.  I was begging Him to display His mighty power and change the situation I was in, or at least do something amazing through me.  And then this weekend I realized that maybe God does not want to calm my storm right now. Maybe He is asking me to take a step of faith and walk on the waves of this storm with Him holding my hand.  There will be times when I sink... that is inevitable.  There will be times when I feel like I am about to drowned.  But the thing is, HE WILL NEVER LET ME DROWN!! I may come close to drowning, but He will always pull me up to once again walk on the top of the waves.

He may choose to calm the wind and the waves in the future, but for now I will trust in Him and walk hand in hand with my Heavenly Daddy through this storm...