Isaiah

Through the Waters

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

When I was on the worship team some years back one of my favorite songs talked about God being in our lives through every season.

I loved the easy flow of the melody and its lyrics conjured up images of God accompanying me on a river cruise. Together we would slide by the scenery of beautiful forests and mountains. Here and there a wave rocked the boat a bit but in my imagination I just held tighter to the railing and turned to God and smiled.

Reality on the other hand has been more like finding myself in a small boat that accidentally motored too close to Niagra Falls. Once caught in the overwhelming current of events inner turmoil and emotions I was swept towards the brink of destruction. Friends and family seemed far away on the river banks shouting this or that advice helpless to save. In those hours I cried out to God for grace. Then as He amazingly brought us to a safe quiet inlet and tied us up to a resting place in the harbor of His will. That experience of through the waters has shown me how little I ever understood of eternal things and how much our Savior loves.

And as we face this New Year whatever our hopes challenges or fears we can know for certain that God is not just joining us for a luxury cruise.

He has promised instead, to pilot our ship through whatever hurricanes and tsunamis lie ahead and bring us safely home. Yes He walks with us through all seasons. Our Savior stays closest in the deepest waters and carries us to safety through the mighty power of His cross!

Who will go?

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Answering the call of God is not so much about seeing needs and trying tp meet them ourselves. Answering God’s calling is about hearing the heart of God and freely choosing to be the carrier of His message. Jonah at first refused to go. Moses asked God to send someone else and Martha wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help. But in the end all of them accepted God’s direction for their own life. Are you wondering what His will is for you? He is waiting also till we see Him high and lifted up. He is looking to see who is willing to go!

From wings to heaven’s window

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But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isaiah 40:31

img_4551When God renews our strength He first gives us wings. Wings like eagles can soar far above our weakness and rest on the breathe of the wind. Even eagles do come to rest, and when we find our feet back on the ground God often fires off the starting gun for our race.

As a teen I ran on our track team. Thanks to a patient coach he allowed even slower runners like me to stay on the team if we came for the practices and finished our races. Though I never knew what it was to win a race, I learned a lot about running through the finish line.

I remember that on the first days of practice some of us would stumble near the end of the second mile, but we each found a way to make it to the end. That is when the temptation was overwhelming to throw ourselves down on the ground in exhaustion. But that seemingly well deserved rest was never allowed by our coach. He would be right there pressing us on saying. “Don’t stop yet guys! Walk it off! Walk it off!”

Tonight if you have run your heart out and feel that you have crossed some finish line, remember Isaiah’s message. You will not only ride with eagle’s wings and run without growing weary, but you will also walk and not faint. If weariness calls tonight to simply cast yourself down to the ground and say that you are through, hear the voice of Jesus my friend, “Don’t stop yet! Walk it off! Walk it off! p1020421There is still so much more more to come!”

He calls us in that moment to come up by His side to look out through heaven’s window and to see His horizon that stretches  far beyond our own finish line!