If you have ever walked on a balance beam, you know that the best way to keep your balance is to look far down the length of the beam, Or when we are learning to drive, the best way to stay in our lane is to look way down the road. Looking where we want to go keeps us on track.

Matthew 14 includes the account of Jesus walking on water. Peter sees him from the boat, and when Jesus says “come” Peter begins walking on the water toward Jesus. However, in verse 30 things deteriorate, “But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” When Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus he begins to sink.

In the same way, to keep ourselves on the right track, we need to keep our eyes and attention on Jesus and His instructions for us.
Dear Lord, Help us to keep our eyes on you, your teachings, and listen in our hearts for your guidance. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

What are people really saying when they say, “It’s not realistic” I think what they are really saying is, “I don’t believe it is possible.”

It is kind of academic for us to believe that God created the universe and everything in it, parted the red sea for Moses, raised Jesus from the dead, and the many other biblical miracles. However, when it comes to believing God will do supernatural things in our lives our belief in God’s power is put to the test. Do we put more weight on what we understand in the natural world, and what we think are the probabilities of certain things occurring, or do we put our belief in the power of God to make things work out.

In Matthew 17:20, Jesus told his disciples, “I tell you the truth, 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.”

In Exodus 4 God tells Moses to go talk to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites leave. Moses comes up with all types of excuses why he cannot, including his poor speaking abilities. God tells him, in 4:11,12, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

In the same way, the message to us is, “Who determines, how much money you have, whether you get promoted, if your medical problem will be resolved, if your business succeeds, if you will get into that university, or any earthly concern?” God does. It is not for us to figure out “how,” it is our job to believe.

Dear Lord, Sometimes we have trouble remembering that you control everything and have the power to do everything. Strengthen our faith so that we will have the belief in you to act boldly in our Christian lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today we celebrate Easter, Jesus rising from the dead. This was the event that fulfilled Jesus’ mission on earth. Jesus’ had to suffer, die and rise to fulfill the prophecies and pay the price for the sin of mankind.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17 NIV

How different this makes Christianity from all other religions, that God saves us, as His free gift. Other religions require the following of rules, rituals, or gaining special knowledge in order to be “saved”.

“Oh the sweet joy this sentence gives, I know that my redeemer lives.” Samuel Medley

Dear Lord, Thank you for the wonderful gift of salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I think we all have seen the adventure films where the hero is racing through some foreign city trying to reach the US Embassy before being captured, or the pictures of people surrounding a free country’s embassy trying to find refuge as revolutionaries are taking over the country.

Envision that scenario as you read Psalm 91:9-10 which says, “If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.”

God is our refuge, where we can find safety and security. The classic words of Psalm 23 should always be in our minds when we are afraid, (I remember the King James version) Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Dear Lord, We thank you that though we may go through frightening and difficult times in our lives, you are our refuge. Help us remember to come to you for refuge and comfort. We know you will not disappoint us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

If you have seen the movie The Passion of the Christ, or one of the few others that depict the brutal treatment of Jesus Christ, you may find it hard to watch the treatment of any human that way. It is unimaginable that the most Loving and Powerful human that ever existed allowed himself to experience this.

Why? For you.

Paul writes in Philipians 2:6-9, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Today, Good Friday, we remember this ultimate sacrifice Jesus gave so that we may be saved. Let us take some time to appreciate the magnitude of this blessing.

Dear Lord, We are eternally grateful for the sacrifice you made for our Salvation. Help us never forget the words of Paul in Romans 5:8, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In Your most holy name we pray. Amen.