Tidal Wave Of Life!

Sometimes you're rocking along and things are going pretty good.
The sun seems to feel a little warmer.
Food tastes a little better.
Laughter comes a little easier.
Life is good.
But then, the storm hits.
It comes in many different forms but its ultimate goal seems to be to derail you in your relationship with God.
That the very forces around you have all conspired to come against you.
Your emotions are on edge.
Fear seems to be your best friend.
You keep praying and asking yourself, "Where are you God?"
He is there. For sure!
Reading in Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
A reference to remind Israel of the red sea crossing where God divided the waters and provided a way out of a hopeless situation. What seemed like utter defeat and destruction turned into salvation by the hand of God.  Don't be trapped into surrender by all the nay-sayers that speak against you and your relationship with God. Don't fall prey to the voice that whispers in your mind..."God doesn't care about you!" God does love you and he will provide a way out. It may seem like an impossible task, but we serve a God who loves to undo the impossible. Remember......sometimes the way out is to go through the middle of whatever we are facing. IF that be the case, God has prepared it and is there to walk with us and guide us.

And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
In other words, Jesus is that stability in our life when we seemed overwhelmed. When we feel as though we are loosing touch with Him and with the things of this world are defeating us at every turn. Jesus is the rock we stand on when all else is crumbling. The rivers (or circumstances) will not overwhelm us or sweep over us. It is in these times that the Word, prayer and worship become the weapons we use to stand. As we read, our faith is strengthened. As we pray, our trust is renewed. As we worship, gratitude rises up in our spirit and we, as I like to say, develop a spiritual backbone.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze.
The fire represents God's refinement of us. The change in character that comes from the situations we follow Him through. We become like the bush in Exodus where Moses met God. The fire of God will touch us but we will not be consumed. God's touch and fire is a cleansing and burning away of the attitudes and motives that I have adopted from the world. He loves me so much and burns with this love that He applies it to my inner being, burning away sin, and attitudes and behaviors and all manner of such that is opposed to God.
I'm telling you...what a Savior we have. My desire is that anything that would seek to turn me from God would be destroyed. I mean ideas or thoughts that come to me would be shattered and left in the dust. Love and lusts for things of this world that would seek to rise up in my heart and replace the love I have for God would be ripped from my being and cast into outer darkness. It is such things as this to be the reason I have to climb up on the altar daily and become that living sacrifice Paul writes about in Romans 12:1.

I pray that you have a really good weekend and that you meet with God.
As always, Vicki and I pray for everyone who stops by Greene Street that you might God might drop something into your life that will strengthen you.

God on you....
mb