Of Boats and Seas Part 2

Last week was the first installment of this post, if you haven't read it I encourage you to go here for that post.  

                                         

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  -John 10:10  (emphasis mine)

When I say the thief came to destroy me-I mean he came to destroy me.  Though I had had been a believer for years and been a lover of the Word and knew and believed John 10:10, I never knew the depth until I stumbled into that season.  Suddenly everything was scary.  Nothing made sense.  I would panic over nothing at all.  

Because ultimately-if satan had my mind...he had me.  So even if there really wasn't anything to fear or worry about at all he convinced me there was, and that was all it took to do me in.  I was done.  I was blindsided and done.  In the boat on the darkest and stormiest of seas.  

Mark 6:45-54

⁴⁵ Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

⁴⁷ Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. ⁴⁸ He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, ⁵⁰ because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ⁵¹ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, ⁵² for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.

A few things I think satan would love for us to miss from our times in the boat....

-First and foremost, make sure you're in the boat with Him when you're in a storm.  How? You're a follower of His, and you're in the middle of His will.  

-If you're in the boat with Him, He will get you to the other side.  The other side may look different than the side you left-but that's ok.  

-We are meant to grow up before we go up.  If that wasn't the case, why wouldn't we be taken up to be with Him immediately after we accept Him as our own personal Lord and Savior?  Storms grow us up the most.  He's refining us, molding us.  

-Our faith is like film.  It's developed the most in the dark. 

-Sometimes the storms in life are consequences of the sin in our life, but other times it's not.  I have often spent so much time wondering what I had done wrong, that I was overlooking what God was trying to do with it.  Jesus was perfect in every way, never deviated once from the Father's plan and had all the faith we could only hope to have-yet He still endured the darkest day in history-crucifixtion day.  There was a bigger purpose at stake.

-Scripture says Jesus now lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25).  Basically meaning we are on the Creator of the World's prayer list.  If we're on His prayer list, we're going to be ok.

-The One who made the very sea is the One who is in the boat with you-don't be afraid.  The problems that looked like they were soon to overtake the disciples suddenly was under Jesus' feet.  

-Remember His presence, but when you can't remember that-remember His provision.  Think back to all the times He's never failed you, showed up when you were sure He wouldn't, met this need, healed a hurt you thought would always be there.  

-Peace is not the subtraction of problems, but the addition of Jesus.  The answer is not escape from the problems, but Jesus in the center.

-Notice in verse 53 it says that once they crossed over they were anchored.  Other words for anchored are security, pillar, grip, hold, comfort, defense, mainstay.  Did they gain that because they had just stepped out of the boat on the roughest of seas and found out really who their Jesus was?  They had gotten to know Him like never before. We get that chance too.

-I saved my favorite for last.  Look at verse 54 it says- as soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.  They recognized Jesus ya'll!  What if we had that chance too!  That when we got out of the boat people were able to say-I saw Jesus because of you.  

I don't know what has you in the rough seas and storms of life right now.  I pray that He delivers you soon-but not until He has received every ounce of glory out of the situation, every drop of purpose, every second of knowing Him like you've never known Him before.  That's what's really at stake.  Not our comfort or plans.  And may you have the privilege of showing off Jesus more than ever.



Linking up with:  Making Your Home Sing, Mommy Moments, A Proverbs 31 Woman, Sweet Sharing Monday, The Modest Mom, Inspiration Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Titus 2 Tuesday