Faith

Our High Mountain Places

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Yet I will rejoice in the Lord , I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18

Rejoicing is not a response to our situations it is a step of faith. Habakkuk was witnessing the complete destruction of his people. He could have been angry and filled with hatred. But instead of bitterness he chose to trust in something he knew he might not live to see – God’s restoration. He decided that if God had given him a mountain of difficulty God would also give him the strength to climb it.

Whatever mountain we are facing we can also choose to rejoice. By faith we can claim His promise of feet like a deer to walk on our highest mountain paths.

Catch Anything? Part 2

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Part Two – The Other Side of the Boat

Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.  John 21:6 ESV

When I was a teenager om Summer nights some of us would dive into the river from a bridge on a dare.  Now we had to be careful which side of the bridge to dive from because one side had deep water  and the other did not. It was a terrifying 20 feet to the water but the thrill of surviving the plunge and swimming to the shore was worth it!

As the disciples discovered; just five minutes of fishing with Jesus was better than an entire night without Him! He knew where and when to throw the nets. When we invite Him along on our fishing trip we need to be prepared to cast our nets at unexpected times and places. The momentary fear we will feel when we take the plunge of obedience to share His message will be drowned out by our shouts of joy. Our long night of failure will be ended by a morning of  nets bursting with fish and our hearts filled with praise for Him!

fish net on gray surface

Photo by Bedis ElAcheche on Pexels.com

Invisible Things

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In the storms of life when the shore is nowhere to be found we find ourselves stripped down to just three eternal things: faith,hope and love. God gives us these treasures: not as a prize to be received in heaven but as a light to guide us through.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13

If you are discouraged or even angry at circumstances that seem to be spinning out of control – trust in God’s promise. He loved us so much that He allowed Jesus to die on a very real cross for a world where men put nails through His hands and feet. When no one yet believed He died in Hope of resurrection. When no kindness was offered to Him He offered heaven to a thief and forgiveness to His enemies. When He drew His final breath He trusted His Spirit into His Father’s hands. How can we be afraid to follow Him? There is no stronger hope on earth than His word. There is no other path that leads to Heaven than faith. There will never be a reward more lasting than the mighty Love of Jesus Christ!