Walking on Water

When Peter tried to walk on water, he took his eyes off Jesus and sank. But Jesus picked him up, saying, “You have so little faith. Why did you doubt me?” (Matt. 14). Likewise, on our journey of faith, each of us is confronted by doubts—we cry out, “Lord, help me overcome my unbelief”  (Mark 9:24). Having doubts is normal. The important thing is how we handle them.

Imagine that doubt is a fork-in-the-road of faith (we'll have many of these in a lifetime). One road leads to the resolution of doubt to greater faith. The other is a dead-end of double-mindedness (James 1:8).

Double-mindedness (not doubt) was the primal sin: “I am afraid that you will be led astray from your pure and undivided devotion to Christ just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s craftiness” (2 Co. 11:3). Jesus attributes Martha's anxiety to double-mindedness while honoring Mary's singular attention on Him. (Luke 10:41-42). So, to the degree we fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:2), we will overcome troubling doubts and walk on the waters of bigger faith (Col. 3:2). Just like Peter did!

“Thy will be done”: Hardest Prayer you will ever Pray

“Thy will be done” is not inert acquiescence. It is not futile or fatalistic. It is a prayer of dynamic faith. It may be the hardest prayer you will ever pray. “Thy will be done” means you are willing for God’s will to prevail over yours. It means giving up control, surrendering rights, and accepting divine discipline.

Praying “Thy will be done” requires both child-like trust and seasoned belief in God's Goodness (Ps. 86:5; Ro. 8:28). It is Job's “though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 3:15). It is the unshakable “even if He does not [rescue us]” confidence of the three thrown into the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:18).

In Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence explains, “We ought to give ourselves up to God, to things temporal and spiritual, and seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will, whether by suffering or consolation, each being equal to a soul truly resigned.”  During these increasingly uncertain times, knowing that God's Will will be done is a comfort and strength. But  that doesn't mean it won't be the hardest prayer you will ever pray.

An Unused Gift on the Top Shelf

Have you noticed that when tragedy occurs, like that at Sandy Hook, faith shows up?  Crises bring it out. In their helplessness, people turn to God. But where is faith the rest of the time?

Have you ever given a gift to a close friend, sibling, or parent that you never saw him or her using until one day you happen to notice it on the top shelf of their closet—unopened and unused? You tried to hide your disappointed. But I wonder if this is not how many Christians deal with God’s most precious gift to them—the gift of faith (Eph. 2:8). God is no less disappointed (Heb. 11:6) that we put His gift, metaphorically speaking, on a top shelf—unused!

During one life-threatening crisis, the Disciples panicked and cried  out to Jesus. After calming things, he asked, "Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:24-25). Then on another helpless occasion, they asked the Lord to increase their faith! But the Lord responded by saying even the smallest faith, if used, could produce great things (Luke 17:5-6). In other words, if we were using the gift of faith, He would never have to say “Where is your faith,” or “What did you do with the faith I already gave you?”

Moving Mountains

The writer of Psalm 73 was bothered that he was having so many troubles while the ungodly were enjoying an easy life. Feeling abandoned by God, he was ready to give up. It seemed like all of his diligence, obedience, prayers, and Bible reading were in vain—he was running out of patience.

We've all been there. At such times, it seems like there is a mountain between us and the place we want to be—and we just don’t have the strength to get over it. Jesus said, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible” (Matt. 17:20).

Jesus said our faith is like a seed, when planted in fertile soil, morphs into a plant or tree. He is saying that when we put even a little faith (that may be all we have!) into action, it will grow strong enough to empower us to move a mountain.

What is the mountain in your life? Loneliness, loss of a job, sickness, wounded relationship? Be encouraged. “Faith comes by hearing…the Word of God” (Ro. 10:17). And that Word will speak to your impossibilities. And nothing is impossible for God!

Small Things

“Do not despise small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10). You may be familiar with this verse without knowing the back story. At the end of Israel’s 70-year captivity, Zerrubabel returned with a small group of Jews to re-build the Temple.  It was harder than he expected; he got discouraged. And, people disparaged a structure that would never be as grand as Solomon's. For 12 years, the work stopped. Then the word of the Lord came to him through Zechariah to start again, saying, do not despise small beginnings, or small things.

Our generation loves BIG things—monster houses, mammoth malls, and mega churches. No one talks of doing “small things” for God.  We like big, attention-grabbing projects and campaigns. But if we despise (regard as negligible or worthless) small things, we may miss the very thing God is doing around us.

The life and ministry of Jesus demonstrates the significance of small. Born in a small shed, surrounded by chickens, sheep, cows, donkeys—despised things—He would confound the wise. Hailing from the tiny town of Nazareth, with a small group of provincial men from a politically insignificant nation, Jesus changed the world, saying, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains (Matt. 17:20). Do not despise small things.  That seems to be where God does some of His best work!

Chicken of the Sea

The phrase “Chicken of the Sea” took on new meaning when the media seized on the phrase to describe the cowardly captain of a cruise ship that crashed off the coast of Italy last  week.  Apparently ignoring the law of the sea that he must “go down with the ship," saving "women and children first," the supposedly spineless sailor slipped into a lifeboat and abandoned his vessel; thus earning his new moniker: "chicken of the sea!" 

Unfortunately, the sad scenario of a scared skipper brings to mind the question people are asking during this election year: “Where is the captain we can trust to lead us out of recession and into prosperity?  Where is the commander in chief who has the wisdom to protect us from rogue nations and terrorists?"  

Did you know the title "captain" is used twice to describe our LORD: “captain of our salvation” (Heb. 2:10) and “captain of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).  The word "captain" connotes strength and confidence, evoking feelings of comfort and security.  For example, an honorable Navy captain will engender trust from his sailors who are assured he cares enough to die with them, even for them.  We have such a Captain, One who anchors our souls (Heb. 6:19).  In the midst of a storm, He calms the seas and quiets the winds.  And we have a Captain we can believe when He promises “I will never leave or abandon you” (Heb. 13:5).

Tim Tebow v. the Occupiers

Denver Bronco’s quarterback Tim Tebow and the Occupy movement are occupying my thoughts these days. Tim Tebow, a single-minded young man, inspires believers, and perplexes agnostics. Yesterday, although he lost the opportunity to play (or pray) his way to a 7th straight victory, against the champion Patriots, still, all eyes are on this extraordinary young man of faith.

On the other hand, the Occupy movement lacks the focus of a goal or unified message. Sadly, I find it an apt metaphor for the 21st century church in America, floundering to find its voice and message to this generation. The lack of unity and the absence of clear leadership is troubling.

More than any time in the history of Christianity, there is a need for single-minded devotion to Jesus (2 Cor 11:3). If the Occupiers are a metaphor for the chaos and division in the world today, then Tim Tebow is a metaphor for the opposite.  Maybe God has raised up Tim Tebow "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).

Childlike Faith

Humility is instinctive in small children. So is dependence—it’s humbling to be dependent on someone else. Small children are perfectly contented with and absolutely trusting of those who care for them. But by the time a child is in his teens, his parents, family members, teachers, and society have convinced him he must compete and win, stand out and excel—all in the interest of good self esteem, but is really just pride—until he believes he can do anything by himself.

For this reason Jesus says children are the best examples of the kind of people who are considered great in God's eyes (Matt. 18:4). God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).

But thankfully, God promises to resist and humble the proud because He wants to exalt and give grace to them. Don’t be surprised when God brings about some humiliating experience that makes you feel as helpless as a child. It is His way of transforming you from world-wise, self-sufficient "adulthood" into a person of childlike faith.