Daily devotion

Sitting Next to the King

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments 
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
Psalm 23:5 ESV

We all love the parts of the twenty-third Psalm when God makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside still waters. But how do we feel about following Him on the path of righteousness; that lead into the Valley of the Shadow of Death? When the road grows dark, and we hear the howling of wolvers it is tempting to give in to fear, but God’s word gives us three things to give us courage. First, our Shepherd who let us rest in the green pastures and walked us down to the gentle stream is still around when danger comes. He leads us into the valley because we need more than just green pastures and fresh clean water. He knows that only when our faith is tested will it begin to grow. Secondly, in the darkness of the valley, our Good Shepherd teaches us to follow Him, one step at a time. We learn that wherever He has walked, we can safely follow. Whenever He stops to rest, we must also and when He says to pitch our tents, we can trust that His rod and staff will protect us through the night. Finally, and best of all, when we wake in the morning, He leads us to a banqueting table that is waiting for us! There in the middle of the dark valley, He brings us to the same table He sat at on the night when Judas betrayed Him. There He takes the bread and blesses it saying, “This is my body which is given for you.” and then He takes the cup that overflows and tells us, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” Then He says to remember every time we receive, that He passed through the Valley first and prepared a table for us there. At that table, no enemy, no problem, or suffering will matter, because there in our darkest valley we will find ourselves at a table sitting right next to the King!

Getting Back in the Boat

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Matthew 14:32 NKJV

This short verse from Matthew’s gospel held a promise for me that I had overlooked till I desperately needed it. My mother was just sixty-two when she died of breast cancer and her passing left me feeling like I had been run over by a truck. The years struggling to rebuild our relationship, the prayers and the conversations were suddenly over. I felt as if I were locked in a room with barely enough air to breathe. I sleepwalked through months of guilt and regret for what had never been. I had often thought about God challenging me as He had challenged Peter to get out of the boat. At other times I had been comforted knowing that just as Jesus had reached out his hand to save Peter, He would take my hand in the middle of a crisis. But it was just as important for me to learn that Jesus wanted to help me back into the boat and restore calm when this storm had passed. I do not know how it happened but gradually light began shining in the dark places of my heart. I woke up to find that though I might never understand the why behind the pain, knowing only God knew had become enough

Do we struggle to see God as more than just challenging or rescuing us? What a wonderful surprise awaits when we realize that He is also delighted to help us back in the boat and calm our winds to a hush.

Invisible Footprints

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen. Psalm 77:19 ESV

Once when I was a teenager, I was wondering what it must have been like for Peter to walk on the water, so I dangled my foot over the edge of a pool and put it lightly on the surface. Immediately I decided that his faith must have been a lot stronger than mine! When I read about God’s footprints, I am always reminded of that moment. Interestingly, the idea of going across water is repeated three times in the Bible. First, we see this when the Israelites were cornered with their back to the Red Sea and the Egyptian army in hot pursuit, God had Moses lift His staff over the waters and He sent a wind to blow till the sea parted till in the morning His people were able to cross on dry ground. With soldiers chasing them on chariots, this seemed an obvious choice! Then, forty years the children of Israel came to another water crossing. It was at the Jordan River, and this time they needed to cross if they were to enter the promised land. At the Red Sea, God parted the waters for them, but this time the priests had to walk down to the water’s edge and actually get their feet wet. Then, the water suddenly stopped flowing and everyone crossed. Though this challenged the faith of the priests, it was still a pretty easy choice for everyone else. But the third time we see God’s footprints is an entirely different affair. This time we find the disciples in a boat being tossed on rough seas on a dark night. Suddenly out on top of the dark waters they see someone walking across the waves coming towards them. These guys were all terrified. Then, Jesus called out, “Don’t be afraid, it is I” Sure we know that Peter made a stab at some water walking himself that night. What amazes me most is not Peter’s ability to defy gravity, but that he left an example for us to follow if we are to walk by faith with a God who leaves His invisible footprints in the sea!