If life is getting tough, this is for you.

If you are facing a struggle that seems too big, this is for you.

If you are in a situation that you see no way out of, this is for you.

If trouble just keeps hounding you, this is for you.

If your faith is weak and it seems the enemy has the upper hand, this is for you.

If you are facing any sort of crisis and you’re just downright tired or confused or depressed… this is for you.

Are you ready?  At face value, this may not sound very inspirational or helpful, but read on.

OK?  Here goes…

Give up.  Just give up.

Give up the pain.  Give up the sorrow.  Give up the striving and trying to make sense of it all.

Give up on just wishing it would all go away.

Give up on trying to control every facet of your existence.

Give up being angry – at God, at your circumstances, at your spouse or your parent or your kid or your boss or the co-worker who gives you fits, or your third-cousin on your mother’s side, or the guy who just cut you off as you hurry to work, or the individual at church who made the snide remark or the butcher or the baker or the candlestick maker…

Give up all the junk that makes you miserable.  Just give it all up.

Now… here is what you do NOT give up on.

Do not give up on Jesus.  God loves you.  It doesn’t matter whether or not you feel loved.  If faith were emotion-based, it would be easy.  Sometimes, in the face of circumstances we can no longer bear, faith is an act of will.  You just do it.  You don’t allow “logic” to overshadow faith.  You don’t spend your time staring at your situation.  All that leads to is inward navel gazing. 

Remember what Jesus said to the apostle Paul when he was struggling with the thorn in his flesh: “But (Jesus) said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV).  God’s unmerited favor over our lives is all we need to see us through.  Instead of staring at the problem, keep your gaze on the solution: Jesus Christ and His immense grace, love, forgiveness, mercy, joy, peace… 

When we are struggling, tempted to walk away from God or give in to sorrow or pain and succumb to our circumstances, we need to give up on the misery.  But never – never ever – give up on the LORD. 

(Today, if you know someone who is hurting or struggling or facing some tough dilemma, please feel free to share this message with them.  And, if I can pray for you today, please drop me a line at christophercourtney@comcast.net.  God bless!)

© 2003 by Chris Courtney.  All rights reserved.

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.  – Acts 6:8 (ESV)

Reading Acts 6 and 7, the short story of Stephen reveals a lot of parallels between himself and Jesus.  Both were servant leaders, humbly serving in a position many would consider beneath them.  Both were targeted by people from the synagogue who didn’t like what they said, and falsely accused.  Both faced these false accusations with strength of conviction.  Both pointed out – to their faces – how wrong these “stiff-necked people” were.  And both died – in most gruesome ways – because of what they knew to be right.  And both, just before their deaths, asked the Father to forgive their killers.

Stephen was a human being.  He was not the Son of God.  And yet he was able to stand in the synagogue and, using the Scriptures, reveal to those who wanted him dead the truth about Jesus and their circumstances.  And he was able to withstand his own death – by stoning (try to imagine how that must feel!) – with faith and mercy undiminished.

How did he do it?

The ESV rendering of Acts 6:8 is slightly off-mark.  The word translated here as “grace” is actually the Greek term pistis, which more accurately means faith.  Stephen was enveloped in the strength of conviction, the assurance of the rightness of Christ.  He was emboldened by faith, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV). 

Yet grace is a perfectly acceptable term here as well, for grace is a free, unearned gift from God.  And, clearly, Stephen was not operating on his own human power:

But (Stephen), full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”  – Acts 7:55-56 (ESV)

And his enemies all saw the Light and turned away from their wicked ways, abandoning legalism and accepting Jesus as their Savior, right?  Not exactly…

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. – Acts 7:57-60 (ESV)

Nobody said the Christian life was going to be easy.  But we all have the same power to do what Stephen did: stand up for the Truth, bolding proclaim His Word, humbly serve others, and love our enemies.

Even when they are hurling rocks at our heads with murderous intent.

We can withstand anything when we come to the simple realization that it isn’t merely our works that bring results.  It is God Who works through us.  It is the Holy Spirit Who emboldens us and guides us.  It is Jesus Christ Who provides the model for us to follow.

When we’re facing great difficulty, we need to look up to our Heavenly Father, to see Jesus seated at the throne.  It is the same lesson Peter learned when he nearly drowned walking on the water: don’t look at the storm.  Don’t focus on the enemies and the rocks they lob.  Don’t get caught up in the troubles. 

Look to Jesus.  Fix your gaze upon the LORD.  Draw your strength from a firm, unswerving faith in God alone, knowing His grace is sufficient for you in all things, at all times (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Don’t get tangled up in life’s circumstances.  Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and do what God says to do.

How did Stephen do it?  Stephen didn’t.  God did! 

Everybody has dreams.  Here is one of mine. 

I heard Sara Groves word this so well in one of her songs that I am reticent to even attempt to write this.  I will never be able to capture the simple elegance of her words as she sang about wishing she could have all those she loved gathered together around a campfire, trading stories and just loving one another.  She put voice to one of my deepest desires.

I would love to collectively wrap my arms around all those I love and, in turn, see all of you joyously celebrating being with one another.  To my mind, in my heart, that is fellowship in its purest form – people gathered together, praising God as one, in tune, caring for one another, truly happy to be in each other’s company.

This would be a rather large gathering, as one of the great blessings of my life is the people the Lord has placed in my path – some for a season, some for a lifetime.  I would love to bring all of us together.  No pretenses.  Just to be. 

If only for a day. 

I know we would all go back to our homes changed – for the better.

I would pray that Jesus would work in hearts.  Wounds would be healed, hurts nursed, hard feelings softened, transgressions forgiven.  I would hope for a wonderful time of catching up, of refreshment, of people just happy to be together.

I would pray that love be our lead, and we would all connect on that deeper level that comes only from true fellowship.  I would see people so happy to see one another that tears of joy stream down faces.  Hugs abound, laughter arises…

All the people I love filled with joy in Christ.

All of them so happy and laughing with not one ounce of pain, or regret, or bitterness, or mourning, or struggle.

All of my loved ones together.

If only for a day.

Can’t you just see it? I can.

I write a lot about hope.  Hope is a cornerstone of the ministry I do.  It is part of my daily prayer: to bring hope to as many people as Christ wills, and that God be glorified in that work.

Hope is vital.  It is so intimately intertwined with faith that the two are practically mutually dependent.  You cannot have faith in Christ without Him being your hope.  You cannot cling to hope if you don’t believe and trust in Someone in Whom you can find hope.

So what does one do when he reaches out with a message of hope – proclaiming the Gospel of Christ – and finds it falling on deaf ears?  Simple: you keep proclaiming the truth.  You keep pointing to Jesus, our Hope and Salvation. 

We were never instructed to go out into the world and convert people.  God never said, “Force salt and light down their throats.”  No, we are called to be salt and light.  We are called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ!  Shout it from the rooftops – with our very lives, not only our voices – and let all the world know:

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. – Psalms 121:1-8 (ESV)

All we are called to do is love others, and proclaim the Gospel message.  There is hope – hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is hope for today and forevermore.  No situation is beyond His grasp.  There is no need to wrestle any longer. 

Love God.  Love one another.  Find hope in Him and rest there. 

Keep proclaiming the Truth.  God will bring the results.

1  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. – Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)

Hope – the joyous anticipation of something we have not yet received, but know in faith that we will obtain.

Faith – “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1, ESV).

The two go hand in glove.  Indeed, the Greek root word elpis is translated 53 times in the New Testament as “hope” and once as “faith.”  And, while the two terms are interrelated, they are not interchangeable.  We hope for specific outcomes.  And, in faith, we know we will receive what we hope for.

It is hope that lifts our hearts.  As Paul points out, we begin with faith in Jesus Christ, whom the apostle refers to as “our hope” several times in the New Testament.  Through faith and hope, we change our view of the suffering we face in life, seeing it through God’s eyes.  After all, as believers, our ultimate goal has nothing to do with this life – a mere vapor.  No material thing on this earth is of any value compared to the riches of God (which are our eternal inheritance).

When we suffer, we grow in endurance.  Its like the old saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.”  Not only will we strengthen in spirit and soul, but in character as well.  As we face trials in life and see that the Lord works through us – even if the problem persists, we have an even stronger faith, and even greater hope.  When we realize that just because we do not see God doesn’t mean He isn’t working, that His will is what is important, then we can rest easy in the hopeful faith that every aspect of our lives is in God’s hands and, no matter how situations may seem, no matter how great the pain or difficulty, He is here. 

He is with us.

He is our strength.

He is our endurance.

He is our hope.

Today’s encouragement is simple: hang in there.  Know that God hears your every prayer.  Even David knew this: “In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears” (Psalms 18:6, ESV).

Cling to this: what you are going through now is not permanent. This won’t last forever. You will get through this. The light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train. It is hope. 

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 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 40:28-31 (ESV)

It is my prayer that the pieces I write be a blessing to others in Jesus’ name.  Please feel free to copy this article, share it via e-mail, and share the link to this website to others.  Thanks so much and God bless!!

chrisandjennie91@gmail.com

Words escape me.  Now, I realize that is a bad confession for a writer to make.  After all, words are my medium, the paint I use to color the canvas.  And yet, when I think about Jesus – when I truly stop to marvel in wonder at the Lord and His goodness and mercy, lavished on such an undeserving sinner as I…

Words escape me.

When I’m seeking direction and getting frustrated, smacking my head against so many brick walls, that should be a key indicator that I am seeking something other than God first.  When I realize that I am seeking in vain – usually about the time that my head butting causes a severe headache – I stop, regroup, and pray.

However, when I am truly seeking God, pursuing His will and His way (what Matthew calls His kingdom), and my heart is turned Godward, there is a peace that washes over me.  There is a joy that fills my innermost being.  When I have turned off all the distractions of life and given my attention fully to Jesus Christ, to Who God is and how He loves me…

Words escape me.

It is in the Lord that I find strength and direction. This is where my spirit is refreshed, my soul energized.  I find hope in the Lord when I meditate on His Word.  I see the world with different eyes and discover that God truly is all that God claims He is.  I get a glimpse of the Great I AM, and a glimpse is all we need.

When I seek the Lord, I see that He has brought me so, so far.  And I see that I still have so, so far to travel.  It is in His grace that I seek to journey down this path of life.  God – the Love of God – makes me want to be a better man.  Like David, I want the Lord to say of me, “I have found in (Chris) a man after my heart, who will do all my will” (Acts 13:22, ESV).

You should want that too.  Here, say it out loud: I want the Lord to say of me, “I have found in (insert your name here) a man / woman after my heart, who will do all my will.” Go ahead, say it again.  Repeat it.  Write it down somewhere.

Seeking the Lord first brings an indescribable joy and incredible peace of mind and heart that can be – should be – life changing.  When we find our wills bent far less inward and far more in the direction of the kingdom of God, we find that He truly changes the desires of our heart and meets our every need.

And when I truly begin to realize these things… well, you know what I’m going to say…

“The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.” – Deuteronomy 28:7 (NIV)

I hope today that you are facing opposition.  I hope you are in the midst of some trial or working through an uncomfortable situation.  And, moreover, I hope you are staying connected to God through it all.

Now, you might be thinking, “Wow… gee thanks.  That was real inspiring!”  I know it sounds awful to say “I hope you are facing some issues.”  And, truly, I wish none of us had to face troubles or trials or hardship or pain of any kind.  But, one of the great truths of this life is just as Jesus put it: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b, NIV).

As we well know, life is not easy.  We face temptations, trials and turbulence at various points in life.  And for good reasons.

Consider this: you are alone at a cabin in the woods.  Two men break into your cabin.  One looks like he could do you some harm.  He’s mean, menacing, armed, big and bold.  This guy is bad news. 

The other guy is… well… he’s there.  He’s leaned against the door.  He’s a skinny guy, totally oblivious to the evil intent of his cohort.  He’s got his smart phone out, texting to his friends and Tweeting.  He’s even snapped a photo of his partner ransacking your belongings, with the caption “LOL.”  He’s no threat.  In fact, you’re not really sure why he’s even there.

Which one of these guys is the real threat?

Now, flip this scenario around.  The devil, the prince of this world (John 14:30), is seated comfortably in the midst of his kingdom.  Two Christians show up.  One looks like he could do the devil some harm.  He has “put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Galatians 6:11, NIV). He recognizes his enemy, and that his battle “is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Galatians 6:12, NIV).  He’s not perfect, but he’s faithful, prepared and bold.

The other guy is… well… he’s there. He’s leaned against the door. He’s a skinny guy, totally oblivious to the evil intent of his enemy. He’s got his smart phone out, texting to his friends and Tweeting. He’s even snapped a photo of his partner, standing strong in his faith in Christ, with the caption “LOL.” He’s no threat. In fact, you’re not really sure why he’s even there.

Which one of these guys is the real threat?  And who is our adversary going to pursue?  Surely not the guy with the cell phone.  Satan is going to set his sights on the one who can do him harm. 

If anyone knows this, it is the apostle Peter.  From the moment Jesus declared Simon to be Cephas (or Peter), the rock upon which Christ would build His house (the church), the disciple had a humongous target on his chest.  Peter knew all too well what he was talking about when he wrote, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  But, it’s not fair to simply look at this one line.  This is actually good news!

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:6-11 (NIV)

I do not truly wish upon anybody any sort of trouble.  But the simple truth is, if you are the least bit effective for the kingdom of heaven, the prince of this world is not going to be happy.  If you are facing absolutely no opposition, you may want to rethink your life strategy.  (By the way, if you are, in fact, sailing smoothly through life, do not be lulled into the false belief that this will always be your lot.)

Be bold.  Be faithful.  Rise up in the power and authority of Jesus Christ.  Proclaim His majesty!  Do the good work put before you.  Rest in faith, knowing the battle is not yours, but God’s.

And the enemy, the devil, is a defeated foe.

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. – James 1:2-8 (NIV)

Stay strong.  Trust God, for He alone is your source.  Expect opposition to rise.  But know that it is only for a season, and that the LORD has won the battle – and the war.  After all, Jesus is truly the One Who has Risen!

This morning I’m meditating over Psalm 81, and I’m amazed at how some things seem to never change.  One of them is man’s inability to fully break out of the cycle of sin.  I shouldn’t be amazed at this.  Logically I understand that we are born into sin and sin is borne within us, thanks to the whole episode in the garden with the serpent and Adam and Eve and the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (not an apple, by the way – probably some more nefarious vegetation like asparagus which, I know, does not grow on trees but…). 

What is illogical to me is why we keep jumping on this merry-go-round of sin when we know the spinning makes us sick.  You know the routine: commit sin, feel guilty / ashamed / convicted / condemned (etc.), go to God, repent (or have the intention thereof), ask for God’s forgiveness, receive God’s forgiveness, thank God for His forgiveness, and love, and grace, and mercy, and provision, and wisdom…, feel better, get comfortable, somehow manage to forget all the wonderful things of the Lord, get tempted by sin (like a cat glaring at a shaking, shiny toy), pursue said shiny toy, commit sin, realize we just did it again, and round-and-round we go…

Shouldn’t we know better by now?

If you think you’re alone in this, you are not.  We all struggle.  We always have.  And, if you love God, you will continue to.  At least as long as you draw breath on this earth.  Why?  Because we all sin.  Its in our very being.  The curse is so pervasive that it is almost as if it is part of our DNA.  If we truly love Christ, we recognize and feel remorse for our sin.  If we do not love Him, we simply go about our merry way doing whatever without any real care about eternity.

In other words, we are all sinners.  If my sin bothers me, good.  It better bother me.  If it doesn’t… time for a major heart and head check / change.

The Israelites were caught up in this cycle.  Psalm 81 opens with the declaration that we are to praise God – noisily and joyously! – for He is “our strength.”  Then there is the reminder of what the Lord has done, directly saving His children from bondage in Egypt (“I relieved your shoulder of the burden; you hands were freed from the basket”).  Once enslaved in this godless place, the people of God are now walking in His freedom.  They cried out in their “distress,” and He came to their rescue.

And yet… “But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel did not listen to me.  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels” (Psalm 81:11-12, ESV).

Yikes…

As history has shown us time and again, this repeated pattern has resulted in repeated disastrous results.  But, if God’s people would only pursue Him, seek His will and His ways, “I would subdue their enemies and turn my hands against their foes” (Psalm 81: 14, ESV).  And that is one of those “thus sayeth the Lord” moments.

And, lest you think this merely applies to the Israelites… think again.  I find the wording of the concluding verse of Psalm 81 to be particularly interesting: “But he would feed you with the finest wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you” (Psalm 81:16, ESV, italics added for emphasis).  The immediate image that comes to my mind is of Peter (“the rock”) and the church.  The imperfect community of the absolutely perfect Jesus Christ, God incarnate.  These admonitions, warnings and blessings all apply to the body of Christ as much as it did to the Israelites.  We are God’s children, and He wants us to live in His light – to be salt and light, a light atop a hill, a beacon to the world. 

Understand where you are, and who you are, in Christ.  You are cleansed.  You are forgiven.  You are blessed and loved.  You are a child – an heir – of the Living God, Creator and Sustainer of All!  Remember where you have been, the sinful places where you batted at the shiny object, but only so you do not go back there – or even look back longingly.  You may desire – or even crave – “the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” (Numbers 11:5, ESV).  But, trust me, it isn’t worth it.  It is all asparagus.  Nasty, mushy, stringy, bitter, sinful asparagus.

Yikes…

“Trust in the Lord and do good…” (Psalm 37:3).  “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33).  “I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.  Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10, ESV).

Amen.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. – Psalm 14:1 (ESV)

I am blown away!

As part of a new believer’s project I’m working on, I’ve been studying about the accuracy and validity of the Bible.  And, wow… nearly 25,000 ancient manuscripts of the New Testament – some fragments, some entire books, some the entire NT – exist.  The oldest is a fragment of John’s gospel, dated to a mere 25-70 years after the original writing.  Compare that to Homer’s The Iliad, the second best preserved ancient writing.  There are 643 copies in existence – a far cry from 25,000 NT artifacts.  And we’re not considering the Old Testament manuscripts (Dead Sea Scrolls, etc.). 

And consider the canon of Scripture itself: 66 books, written by over 40 writers from vastly different walks of life (from mighty kings to humble fishermen), on three continents in three languages using several different, disparate genres, over the span of roughly 1500 years.  And still, despite all that, is incredibly homogenous, telling one continuous story from Genesis to Revelation.  It all fits and, even more amazing, does not contradict itself at any point.  No hoax goes on for 1500 years.  Clearly, despite the 40 writers, there is obviously only One Author: God Himself. 

Yet there are still people who want to disprove the validity – and value – of Scripture.  Doubts are cast (ex.: “how can the Bible be accurate after being translated sooooooo many times?”, etc… etc… etc…).  But the proof is there.  Look at the historical data and you will see that Scripture is real, accurate and alive.

Think about it… the disciples gave their lives to Christ, and died for Him.  The same fate befell many of the early church fathers who left written testimony of the accuracy and historicity of the Scriptures.  Now, ask yourself: how many people do you know who would die for a fraud or a hoax?  Which is more delusional: to accept the incontrovertible facts of the accuracy, authority and legitimacy of the Bible – the very living and active Word of God revealed through man to the world.  Or to refuse to look at the reality of the evidence about the Bible.

Consider this:

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:1-5, 14 (ESV)

Once you accept that Scripture is true and valid, you must accept all it says as such.  When Scripture makes audacious claims as being God breathed, then you must accept that this is God’s Word.  And, further still, when you realize the Word became flesh – Jesus Christ Who is God Incarnate – then denying the authority of Scripture is the same thing as saying there is no God. 

And only a fool would say there is no God.

“But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” – Matthew 14:27 (NIV)

Poor Peter.  The guy gets a bum rap.  The gospels are replete with examples of the fisherman-turned-apostle messing up.  He says the wrong things, does the wrong things, thinks the wrong thoughts. He zealously does what he thinks is right, only to find himself (sometimes withering) on the wrong end of Jesus’ rebuke.  I mean, when Jesus looks you in the eye and says, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” that cannot be a comfortable experience.

But, give Simon Peter this much: he has moxy.  Or at least a healthy does of machismo.  Far more importantly, he loves the Lord.  One cannot deny His devotion to Jesus.  (Excepting, of course, the thrice denial of Christ during His trial, but that’s for another time.)

As I prepare to teach a Bible study on the life of the Apostle Peter, I am reminded again of just how much Cephas is like all of us.  He is truly “flawed yet chosen,” as are we.  One of Peter’s finest moments comes on the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus has sent the apostles off in a boat – and straight into a storm.  The apostles are absolutely panicked.  They probably think their boat is going to capsize and they are going to drown. 

Suddenly, Jesus appears – standing on the swirling, churning waters.  OK… imagine that if you can.  It’s the middle of the night.  You’re tired.  You’re frightened out of your wits.  You are fearing for your very life!  And then… Jesus appears, walking on the water.  Not just walking on water.  Walking on swelling waves amidst a terrifying storm.  And what does Jesus say to them?  “Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”

And who is the first one to recognize Jesus (although he is having a tough time believing his eyes)?  Peter.  And who steps out onto the seas when beckoned by Christ?  Peter.  And who walks on the water toward the Lord?  Peter. 

And what happens when Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and looks at the storm that is raging around him?  He begins to drown.

The lessons to glean from these few verses in Matthew are many.  But here are three key points I want us all to take away from this:

1. John Ortberg was right.  If you want to walk on water, you have to step out of the boat.  You can sit in a fetal position and rock out of fear.  Or you can stand up and step out boldly – courageously – into the future God has planned for you.

2. Jesus Christ is your courage.  If you are relying solely on your abilities and strength, you may be bitterly disappointed.  But, if you follow God – seeking first and foremost His kingdom (His will, His ways) – you will find joy, peace, abundant life!  It will take courage.  There will be people who don’t understand you or what you’re doing; who will mock you; who, frankly, will not like Who you stand for.  Find your courage, strength and acceptance in Christ.  Nothing is impossible for God!  He will meet your needs.  He will light your path.  He will guide you along the way.  He will never leave you nor abandon you.  He is in control.  So trust Him.

3. Keep your eyes on Christ!  When shooting a bow-and-arrow, one must keep his eyes looking through the sight aimed at the bullseye ahead.  Turn your gaze and you will miss the target.  Do not focus on your circumstances.  Focus on God.  Focus on His promises.  Focus on His Word.  Focus on the love of Christ.  Focus on the Creator of All Who is also Truth Himself – Existence Himself. 

In short, fear not.  You may be facing a storm in life so daunting, so terrible, that the very thought of it makes your stomach queasy.  You can’t see a way through, can’t find a way out.  You don’t know how you’ll carry on.  Whatever you do, don’t give up.  Don’t quit.  Take your eyes off your situation and focus on God.  Seek the Lord and find the courage you need to get up and step out of your boat and into that stormy sea, knowing that Jesus is right there before you – right in the middle of the chaos – and He is saying to you, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

You are not alone.  You are greatly loved – more than you can ever measure.