Month: October 2019

Immediately

(View this devotional thought on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SoO6b4svKC4)

One little word–\”immediately.\” I read it, read past it, and then the Holy Spirit prompted me to back it up and read it again. Like a bolt of lightning, my heart leapt within me, and my soul was charged.

\”But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, \’Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid…Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him…\’\” (Matthew 14:27, 31).

We know the story from Matthew–the disciples were alone on the sea while Jesus was away praying. A storm came up and tossed the boat about, the disciples saw a figure walking on top of the water coming towards them, they thought it was a ghost, Peter walked on water, Peter began to sink.

BUT JESUS.

Jesus didn\’t wait. The disciples didn\’t recognize Jesus, because they were too busy being afraid of the ghost on the water (and it was a dark and stormy night…). Still, Jesus immediately reassured them. Peter began to sink on the water and cried out for Jesus to save him, and immediately Jesus took his hand.  There in the midst of their fear and confusion, Jesus immediately assured them of His presence and comforted them.

So why do I sit around, waiting for peace in my life? Why do I allow myself to feel alone, discouraged, or afraid, as if there is no comfort to be had? The same way Jesus responded to His disciples then is exactly how He responds to his followers now. When I awake with that dreadful anxiety clutching at my insides, Jesus is immediately there to soothe my soul. When that sudden fear strikes at me, Jesus offers immediate reassurance of His presence.

After His resurrection, just before He ascended to the Father, Jesus told His disciples He would be with them always. He didn\’t say He would come to them, He said He would be with them, always (Matthew 28:20). This is true for every believer in Christ. We can\’t touch Jesus physically, as the disciples did, but we can feel His presence in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Whether we speak His name or not, Jesus is with us–immediately.

It\’s going to be a great day.

Again I Say, Rejoice!

\"\"I learned something new from the Bible this morning: the phrase \”rejoice in the Lord\” is only found twice in the New Testament (Philippians 3:1 and 4:4). Also, did you know that Philippians 3:1 and 4:4 are a command? You can put the words \”You shall\” before \”rejoice in the Lord\” based on the language of the words. \”It\’s a command to obey. It\’s a part of obedience and righteousness, and neglecting it is a sin.\”*

Paul\’s letters indicate that he likely suffered from anxiety to some extent, so to come to the point of telling us to rejoice in the Lord meant that he had experienced some victory in that area himself after reading about the Old Testament holy men and women and understanding their secret of perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.

You can find the phrase \”rejoice in the Lord\” eleven times in the Old Testament: 1 Samuel 2:1, Psalm 32:11, Psalm 35:9-10, Psalm 64:10, Psalm 97:12, Psalm 104:33-34, Isaiah 29:19; 41:16. Joel 2:23, Habakkuk 3:17-18, and Zechariah 10:7.

Of those verses, Habakkuk 3 reached out and grabbed at my heart this morning: \”Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.\” (emphasis mine).

I don\’t have any fig trees, olives, or livestock; but translated into today\’s vernacular, it might go something like this:

\”Though the car won\’t start,
though my paycheck doesn\’t stretch far enough,
though my children live in rebellion
and my household is in disarray,
yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.\”

There it is, right smack dab in the middle of the confusion of our lives. Rejoice. A command from God.

The author I\’m reading says this: \”Waging war on worry begins with choosing to tap into the Lord Himself.\”**

Joy is an attitude, a choice we make. It\’s not a frivolous saying we throw out to show off our \”spirituality.\” It\’s a deep-down, gut-level decision to trust the One True God over the circumstances we face.

So this becomes my challenge. Instead of waking up and allowing the cares of my life to overwhelm before I even get out of bed, I must pray, \”God, even if nothing goes right today, no matter what happens, I trust You, and I will rejoice in Your goodness, no matter what.\”

May it be so.

*, ** – Worry Less Live More, by Robert J. Morgan