Peter Sank

Matthew 14:28-30 (ESV)

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

I read a story about a family gathered around the kitchen table as mom read the devotional message for the day. It was the story of Peter walking on the water.

After the mom finished reading and praying, one of the kids surprised his mom with these words. “Hey guys,” he said, addressing everyone in the family. “I know why Peter sank.”

His mother had a doubtful look in her eye but gestured for him to continue. “It’s simple,” he said. “Peter quit lookin’ at Jesus.”

Yes, that is what happened. Peter took his eyes off of the Lord and instead focused on the wind and the waves. That’s when he started going under.

That simple explanation is true, not only for Peter but also for us. When you take your eyes off of Jesus and look at your situation, you may find yourself sinking. Keep your focus where it belongs—on the Lord.

Dear Lord, help us to keep our eyes on You in everything we do. We know that when we focus on other things we will sink. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

It Starts With Me Looking Up

1 Corinthians 7:35 (ESV)

35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

Our generation has great potential to reach and impact the world around us but this won’t happen as long as our eyes are looking down – fixed to our phones, our shoes, ourselves. If you want to make a difference in your family, at work, your school, your sports team and the world, then it starts with you looking up.

Technology is a great thing. It allows us to communicate with people all over the world at any moment. Imagine if we didn’t have the gift of technology and we had to communicate without it. Because we have such easy access to technology, it can quickly become a distraction. Instead of our eyes and hearts being focused on the people around us and on the opportunities, God gives us, we can become infatuated with our phones and spend most of our time scrolling timelines.

While Jesus faced many potential distractions (storms, hunger, critics, lack of sleep, betrayal, etc.), He didn’t allow these distractions to draw His attention away from what God had called Him to do or from the people God had called Him to minister to. With our eyes looking up, we will see more clearly the people God has brought into our lives who we can show the love of Jesus to. Only with our eyes looking up will we be able to bring change to the world as we recognize and respond to the people that God has put on our path.

Take the time to make a plan to prevent yourself being distracted by things that distract us from Jesus.

Jesus wants to use your life to impact and influence the world around you so start looking up!

Dear Lord, help us to look up to You. Help us to recognize the things that distract us from You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Keep your eyes on Jesus

Numbers 21:8-9 (ESV)

8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

The last time you were traveling down the road and a sign read, “Detour Ahead,” did you say, “Wonderful! I love detours”? I am sure you didn’t react that way and neither did the Israelites in the account recorded in Numbers chapter 21. Their already long journey from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan was about to get longer. As a result, they impatiently grumbled against God.

God dealt with the people by sending venomous snakes among them. The snakes bit and many people died. The Israelites went to Moses and said, “We sinned. Pray that God will take the snakes away.” So Moses prayed and God instructed him to make a bronze snake, put it up on a pole, and tell the people that anyone bitten could look at that bronze snake and live.

Imagine how they might have wanted to react to God’s instruction. “What? How is looking at a bronze snake going to help us?” But that was the point. This wasn’t a lesson in logic or on how to properly treat a snakebite; this was a lesson in trust. The Lord promised to save the people from death when they trusted his word and looked at the snake he commanded Moses to display. And true to his word, when those bitten looked at the bronze snake, God saved them from death. He rescued the people from the judgment of death that they deserved for their sins.

The wages of sin is death for all of us. But God comes to rescue us. However, instead of directing our sinful hearts to a snake on a pole, God directs our hearts to a Savior on the cross. Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Jesus rescued us from the sting of sin and the fear of death, when he took our sin to the cross and paid for it in full by his death.

Are you feeling down today? Then look up to Jesus and his great love for you on the cross! Tired of life and its detours? Find rest in Jesus! Wounded by sin? Find healing in his wounds! Look to Jesus. He is your Savior from sin and death.

Dear Lord, helps us to lift our eyes and heart to trust in You and Your great love for us.  Help us to not get lost in the detours of life. In the Name of Jesus,  Amen.

It's better higher up

Philippians 3:14 (ESV)

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The famous preacher D.L. Moody told about a Christian woman who was always bright, cheerful, and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She lived in an attic apartment on the fifth floor of an old, rundown building. A friend decided to visit her one day and brought along another woman -- a person of great wealth. Since there was no elevator, the two ladies began the long climb upward. When they reached the second floor, the well-to-do woman commented, "What a dark and filthy place!" Her friend replied, "It's better higher up." When they arrived at the third landing, the remark was made, "Things look even worse here." Again the reply, "It's better higher up." The two women finally reached the attic level, where they found the bedridden saint of God. A smile on her face radiated the joy that filled her heart. Although the room was clean and flowers were on the window sill, the wealthy visitor could not get over the stark surroundings in which this woman lived. She blurted out, "It must be very difficult for you to be here like this!" Without a moment's hesitation the shut-in responded, "It's better higher up." She was not looking at temporal things. With the eye of faith fixed on the eternal, she had found the secret of true satisfaction and contentment.

Dear Lord, help us to keep our eyes on You. With our eyes fixed on You we will realize that the best is higher up. IN the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Look up

Psalm 98:1 (ESV)

Oh sing to the Lord a new song,

    for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm

    have worked salvation for him.

Years ago, a young sailor went to sea for the first time. Not long after setting sail his ship encountered a heavy storm and the sailor was commanded to go aloft and trim the sails. About three quarters of the way up, the young sailor made the mistake of looking down. The roll of the ship combined with the tossing of the waves made for a frightening experience. The young man started to lose his balance. At that moment, an older sailor underneath him shouted, "Look up, son! Look up!" The young sailor did as he said -- he looked up, and regained his balance.

Similarly, when our focus is on the circumstances that we face, the waves of life, we can easily lose our balance and our direction. But when we change our focus and simply "look up", our internal spiritual compass fixed on the Lord will restore our stability, and enable us to finish the assignments we’ve been given and get to the top!

Are you feeling unstable today? Look up! The Lord will steady you. Heaven is your goal and God will provide the power and direction to bring you safely there!

Dear Lord, help us to keep our eyes up. Help us to keep our eyes on You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Not the Waves!

Matthew 14:26-32 (ESV)

26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[a] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

Peter exhibited GREAT faith when he stepped out on the water... but then he allowed his immediate surroundings to hinder his walk! Peter's faith began with a tremendous bold step, but it required a level of focus that he wasn't used to. Follow through.... that was the problem; those pesky waves, and the way he usually thought about and experienced water; (not something that generally supports your feet)...

We all know what Peter should have done, right? Keep his eyes on the Lord, NOT the waves!!! That's easy for us to say. But how many of us have ever stepped out of the boat? I didn't notice any of the other disciples playing follow the leader with Peter.

I see two things from this: First, put a little adventure into your life; step out on the water; you might actually enjoy the exhilaration and really glorify God on the way. And secondly, If and when you do, learn from Peter's mistake. Make sure you live life keeping your focus on the Lord (not on your own spiritual ambitions)...because you can be totally confident the waves will come, once you're out of the boat. But watching the Lord of Life walking there with you will give you the vision to follow through.

Dear Lord, we pray that when adventure comes in our life we will be ready to walk on the water without fear of sinking. Help us keep our trust in You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

One step at a time

Psalm 25:4-5 (ESV)

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

    teach me your paths.

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are the God of my salvation;

    for you I wait all the day long.

A father asked his son to carry a letter from their camp to the village. He pointed out a trail over which the lad had never gone before. “All right Dad, but I don’t see how that path will ever reach the town,” said the boy. “Well son, I'll tell you how. Do you see that big tree down the path?” asked the father. “Oh, yes, I see that far.” “Well, when you get there by the tree, you’ll see the trail a little farther ahead -- and farther down you'll see another big tree -- and when you reach that one you'll be closer and so on until you get within sight of the houses of the village.”

In the same way, I believe God wants to reveal the way for each one of us on our trails toward Him, one tree at a time. Sometimes we're convinced we need to see the end of our path, so that we can be reassured that there's something good down there, or that we're going in the right direction, or that we'll be able to see if it gets dark.

We all know firsthand how it feels to walk in the darkness here in the Land and not know where the end will be -- and often how we'll have the strength and sustenance to get there. It's not easy to move forward and trust that God will light the path ahead and point us in the way we should go. But the fact is that it is a crucial step toward our growth and maturity in the Lord and we all need to get to there.

Dear Lord, help us to make this journey one step at a time. Looking to You for the guidance that we need.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

When the Grass Looks Greener Outside of the Church

Hebrews 12:2-3 (New International Version)

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Sam was fourteen. He had just accepted Jesus in his heart and he wanted to make a difference in life. He decided to attend a Christian boarding school for the remainder of his high school years. He carefully chose one that was supported by a seminary, because after graduation, he hoped to study theology and become an effective and dedicated pastor.

He entered the boys' dormitory on that very first day wearing his best suit of clothes. His tie was perfectly straight, and from the genuine way he spoke as he introduced himself, one would have thought that he was already a pastor: "I'm Sam. I want to become a pastor once I finish high school." He was so caring and always eager to help that no one doubted he would achieve his goal and everyone welcomed his friendship.

Unfortunately, this included his not-so-desirable classmates. Before long, his manner of dress changed. The tie was out first, and then jeans with holes replaced his suit. This was followed by changes in his ambitions. No longer did he want to become a pastor, and his kind deeds were replaced with foul language. In fact, he soon became a specialist in the worst kind of swear words.

What had gone wrong?

The grass started to look greener outside of the church!

Jesus addressed this problem early on in His ministry. In fact, He gave a very poignant illustration of this very problem: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matt 13:3-9 NIV)

Let's take a closer look at each of these examples:

1. INCOMPREHENSION: "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and DOES NOT UNDERSTAND IT, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path." (Matt 13:19 NIV)

This first example isn't talking about someone who is in the church. Instead it is referring to those who never accept the word they hear. Notice why the evil one is able to snatch it away before it can take root in their hearts: They don't UNDERSTAND it!

In the last three examples, Jesus is referring specifically to people who ARE in the church, for in each of these examples, the Good News was accepted with eagerness. Let's look at Jesus' explanation of the first two to see what Jesus has to say about "greener grass"-about why people fall away from the church:

2. AFFLICTIONS, TROUBLES AND PERSECUTION: "The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." (Matt 13:20-21 NIV)

3. WORRIES OF THIS WORLD: GLAMOROUS DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES: "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful." (Matt 13:22 NIV)

In our day and age, it is easy to make someone feel dissatisfied, to make them long for something better. Just point out inconsistency and claim it to be a global truth. For example: the church edifice gives the opportunity for many to come and worship God together. However not everyone who comes there is saved. In fact some fake being a Christian so well that they end up having an important function in the church! How easy it is to point out their hypocrisy and then generalize it to: "They are all hypocrites!" This kind of reasoning easily leads at noticing the deceitful greener grass outside of the church.

What can happen to those who fall for the "greener grass" deception? Let's look at the life of Judas. He betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins (see Matthew 26:15). The silver coins looked so attractive at the time Judas went for them. However soon he realized the deception, but while attempting to amend his error, he ended up committing suicide. (see Mathew 27: 3-5).

There is one group of people in Jesus' parable, however, who persevere to the end. It is the last group: "But the one sown on the good ground-this is one who hears and UNDERSTANDS the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown." (Matt. 13:23) Why does this group succeed when the others fail? The difference between them lies in the word "understand". They understood the true message, not just the frills! And the resulting crop was proof of this.

The only way to avoid the "greener grass" pitfall is by consistently keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Dear Lord We want to keep our eyes on You. We pray today that we would always focus on You and not let our eyes wander. In Jesus’ name, Amen.