Is Jesus in Your Boat?

 

John 6:19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.

Matthew, Mark, and John all wrote about their experience of Jesus walking on the water. You remember that account of the disciples all in the boat during a bad storm and seeing Jesus walking toward them on the water.

Although they all told about the same experience, what stood out in that experience was different for each person.

For example, only Matthew talks about Peter joining Jesus on the water. That has always been the emphasis in the story when I have heard it taught or preached about.

Neither Mark nor John saw that as the most important part of the story. Neither one mentions Peter getting out of the boat, walking on the water toward Jesus, then looking at the waves and starting to sink!

What is the same in all the accounts is that they were all afraid.

They were all glad to have the presence of Jesus in their boat when He got there. His presence gave them comfort. It took away their fear.

All three men recount that Jesus calmed the storm as soon as He entered their boat.

And this is a key truth we can learn from Matthew's, Mark's, and John's accounts of their experience in that boat.

The most important thing in any experience we have is not what miraculous things happen or what we can do (even with God’s help). 

No, what is important is whether we have invited Jesus into our boat. 

That is when He will bring calm in us no matter what storm we are going through.

Is Jesus in your boat?

Earthquake-proof

Psalm 46:2 We will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea …

 Not long ago, central South Carolina experienced a series of small earthquakes (one or two we felt here at home), which gendered a lot of discussion about earthquakes. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading about earthquake-resistant buildings and when I read Psalm 46 this morning, I remembered what I had read and saw a spiritual application right away. The article I read said there are five principles to follow when building a structure that can withstand earthquakes. Spiritually speaking, I have those same things available to make my life earthquake-proof:

• An appropriate foundation. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our strength, a very present help in trouble.” If He is my life’s foundation, my fear of falling is gone. I have a good, solid foundation upon which I am building my life.
  
• Seismic dampers, i.e., something to absorb the shocks from an earthquake. Psalm 46:5: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.” It is God’s presence in my life that keeps me steady. No matter what happens, I can feel, and be, secure even if life is shaking from unpleasant events. The Bible is full of promises that support this verse in Psalm 46. I have had a few seismic shocks in my experience but I can truthfully say that none of them were able to completely destroy me because in every situation I had an underlying peace that kept me from falling. Yes, I felt the shocks, but they were only that, not anything that could destroy my confidence that God was going to help me through the situation.
  
• A drainage mechanism, i.e., something to keep water from pooling in the soil around you. Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” The moving stream made me think of the drainage – no spiritual water is pooling around me when my faith is in God. I am constantly being refreshed by His Spirit to my spirit. My human, earthly house has no shifting soil that could cause it to fall.
  
• Structural reinforcement, i.e., frames that transfer the earthquake forces from the roof and floors to the foundation. Psalm 46:6: “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts." God is in control and is the Ruler of all the forces of the world, both physical and spiritual. His voice is all the structural reinforcement I need to keep my life secure. My regular and frequent visits to God's Word keep me hearing His voice. That voice transfers all my fear to my foundation - my faith in God alone.
• Use of building materials able to absorb large amounts of energy without breaking. Psalm 46:10 sums up this spiritual application: "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth." My faith in Almighty, Exalted God - my knowledge of His holiness and goodness absorb each trial, each unsettling experience, leaving me still strong.
  

All said, I have an earthquake-proof life in God. I have peace and confidence. As long as I keep my safe-guards (my foundation, my dampers, my drainage, my structural reinforcement) in place, I cannot fall or be destroyed.

 

I've Got Peace Like a River

Isaiah 48:18 If you pay attention to God’s commands, your peace will be like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

 A river and the waves of the sea have several features that tell me more about the peace and righteousness I will have in my life as I obey God.

1. They flow endlessly.  One of the things I love most about visiting the beach is watching the constant and continuous breaking of waves. Even on calm weather days that perpetual motion is there. No matter how long you wait, the waves keep coming. The same is true of a river. The movement of the water is never-ending, even if it is difficult to see. The peace God gives me as His obedient child is always there for me to rely on, even if at times I have to look carefully for it.

2. Only drought can ebb their flow or stop them. The only time a river stops moving is when the source has dried up for some reason. I have been watching that happen in Africa where there has been a drought. I enjoy watching live streaming of African animals (on explore.org) and the rivers have been slowly drying up for some time now because of the drought. God's peace dries up like that when I am spiritually dry because I have not been staying focused on God in my life. The great news is that every time I have lost that peace, when I get back on track and back in touch with God, the river of peace starts flowing again ... the drought ends.

3. They are comforting and restful.  The people who watch them have a relaxed, restful sense even if it is a noisy atmosphere. When I have an opportunity to visit the beach and watch the waves, I always feel relaxed. It does not really make sense, does it? All that noise and movement should have the opposite affect, but it doesn't. And so it is with the peace of God to the obedient child of God ... it enables one to rest in the comfort of knowing that God is in control. 

According to this verse, this kind of peace - God's peace - is only mine if I pay attention to God's commands. My obedience is key. May God help me to keep obeying.