"Getting To Jesus"

"Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So, they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. "But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him." Mark 6:33

The text is pretty self-explanatory. The disciples of Jesus had been so busy ministering and teaching that they didn't even have time to relax and eat. So, Jesus told them to get away from the crowd and rest. They got in a boat to go to a secluded place. The people who saw them departing recognized Jesus. Instead of staying where they were, they started following Him, running along the shore to get to where He was. They outran the boat and were there when Jesus arrived. 

The thing that spoke to me from this account was the fact that the people made every effort to get to where Jesus was. They ran on foot to get to Him. They ran quiet a distance. They did not stop. They did not give up. They did not quit. They did not turn around and go back to where they came from. They pursued Him and they were determined that nothing was going to stop them. 

Are you pursuing Jesus? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to "get to Him"? Are you determined not to stop, give up or turn around until you reach Him? They wouldn't and didn't give up. They had one goal-- get to Jesus! Is this your goal as well? Is it your goal in the good times as well as the bad times? Our one main goal and heart's desire should be to be wherever Jesus is-- and not let anything stop us.

Have a great day. Is pursuing Jesus the goal and desire of your life? 

"Wicked In Thought"

"The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts."  Psalm 10:4

The wicked have too much pride to seek God.  They think they don't need Him because they know it all already.  They think they can take care of themselves well enough without Him.  They believe they are strong enough, have enough power and are wise enough to do life on their own without God.  If they think about Him at all it is in the sense of-- who needs Him, that is if He is even real. 

What we have just stated is the attitude of the wicked, it should never be the attitude of the righteous-- those who have come to Jesus Christ as Savior and had their sins forgiven and lives changed by His grace and power.  Instead, the opposite is true for us.  We denounce pride and humble ourselves before God.  We acknowledge our total dependency upon Him.  We know we can't make it without Him.   The Lord God is always in our thoughts.  Meaning that our minds stay focus on Him and His word.  It means that we think about Him during our waking hours.  It also means that we acknowledge Him in every decision that we make-- knowing we don't have the ability to direct our own lives.   

Which of these two best describes you?  Are you righteous but still acting and thinking like the wicked?  Do you acknowledge God in all your ways, or do you think you can do it on your own without Him?  Do you think about Him only when you need Him, or is He the sum of all your waking thoughts?  Do you seek Him daily, continually, or only on occasion?  Are you full of pride?  Are you a "know it all"?  As Christians, we should not follow the way of the wicked, we are no longer like they are.  We once were but the Lord changed us-- if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things pass away and all things become new. 

Have a great day.  Are you a Christian but are still acting like the wicked?  If so, something is wrong.

For further reading:
Proverbs 3:6
2 Corinthians 5:17
 

"He's Mindful Of You"

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained."  Psalm 8:3

When you look at the magnificence and the vastness of the universe, then you look at man in comparison, we are not even a "speck" in size.  Once you go so far into the atmosphere, we disappear from sight.  Yet, God is mindful of us.  More mindful of us than any other of His creations.  So mindful of us that He sent His One and Only Begotten Son into this world to save us from our sins.  He didn't send Him for the stars, the moon, the sun, the planets, the trees and other plant life, nor did He send Him for the animals, fish and reptiles.  He sent Him for us-- this less than a speck in the universe.

Never think that God doesn't care about you.  Never think that He doesn't see you and isn't aware of you.  Never think that you are too small for Him to notice.  He loves you.  He cares about you.  He sees you.  He knows where you are.  Even the billions of stars and the vast galaxies can't hide you from Him.  He is mindful of you and where you are.

Have a great day.  Man is so tiny in comparison to the vastness of creation, yet God is mindful of us.  He is mindful of you.

For further reading:
Genesis 1:1
John 3:16
Psalm 139
 

"Ride The Storm Out"

"And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish."  Matthew 8:25

A while back my husband and I were in town shopping and the clouds started rolling in, the wind started blowing, the rain started pouring, the thunder sounded, and the lightening flashed.  We had to make a choice-- either stay inside the store or go to our vehicle.  The storm was so bad for a while and the rain was so heavy you couldn't see outside.  The signs were blowing on the buildings-- they looked like they would take flight any minute.  We saw smoke across the street where lightening had struck something.  The lights kept flickering where we were.  Of course, we decided to stay in the store because it was a safe structure that protected us from what was going on outside all around us.

When the disciples were in the boat and the storm was so bad that even these experienced fishermen thought they were going to drown, they had to make a choice.  They could abandon the ship and take their chances in the sea.  Or they could stay in the boat.  Staying in the store was the safer choice for us because it was a covering and fortified place from the elements.  The boat was the safer place for the disciples because Jesus was in the boat with them.

Is there a storm going on in your life?  Are you trying to decide what course of action you should take?  When we are in Jesus, we are in the safest place there is.  He is the ship that will not sink.  He is the fortified place during the storm.  He is the shelter in the storm.  Are you looking for a safer place?  An easier place?  A way out?  Will you stay in the place of safety with Jesus and "ride it out"?  Or will you look for a quick exit that only puts you in more exposure to the thing that is seeking to destroy you?  The choice is up to you.

Have a great day.  It is safer in the boat with Jesus than it is to jump into the sea. 

For further reading:
Psalm 61:3; 46:2,3
Isaiah 25:4; 43:2

"Freedom From Life's Dread"

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."  1 Peter 5:7

Did you wake up this morning feeling pressured and overwhelmed by what awaits you today?  Did you dread getting out of bed because you already feel the weight off all that lies before you?  If so, before you face the world, before you face any task, before you head off to work, or go to meet the responsibilities of the day, take time to get alone with the Lord.  Don't face "life" today without having first faced the Lord.

Go into that secret place-- your prayer closet, take some time to go before His presence and cast your cares upon Him.  Acknowledge Him in all your ways-- in all that you have before you--- and let Him direct your steps, thoughts, ideas, appointments, commitments and responsibilities.

It has been said that "he who knees before God can stand before anything and anyone".  When you humble yourself first thing in the day before the Lord and bring Him into the affairs of your life, you will find that you don't have as much facing you as it seemed.  You will find that that "mountain" of cares is actually nothing more than a "mole hill".  You will also gain a peace that passes understanding, the pressures will dissipate, the dread will be replaced with victory, the confusion will give way to a calm spirit and fear will take a back seat.

There is no denying that we all have responsibilities and things that we have to do each day, but the choice of how they affect us and affect our attitude is up to us.  We can face them with peace or with anxiety.  Anxiety comes naturally, but peace in the midst of overwhelming cares comes as we get into the Lord's presence and cast these cares upon Hm.  Which will you do today?

Have a great day.  Are you overwhelmed by what the day holds before you even begin the day?  Then get in the Lord's presence and leave those cares there.

For further reading:
Matthew 11:29, 30; 6:33