Encouragement

No matter how old we are, or how experienced we are, or how successful we are, we all need encouragement.  We all desire someone to believe in us; to have faith in us.  

When we fall we want someone there to pick us up, dust us off and set us back on the right track.  We want someone to affirm us when we are doing well and we need someone to give us wise counsel when we are not.  

In our Young Adults study group, we did a study on faith.  We learned how faith enabled men like Noah, Abraham and Joseph to endure challenges and trials.  Their faith gave them assurance they would endure and allowed them to see past the trials to the promises they would receive.  But what got them through the trials while they were in the trenches was encouragement.  

Noah needed encouragement that he and his sons could complete the monumental task of building the ark.  We’re talking about a 100 year build project here!  After 50 years of building and only being about half done, I’m pretty sure Noah needed some encouragement.  

(And Noah didn’t get his encouragement from the rock monsters in that heretical Russel Crowe movie.  Puleeeze.  But hey, that’s a devotional for another time)

All of the men of faith noted in the Book of Hebrews needed encouragement to endure and to confirm that they were on the right path.

The other day I was studying what most of the world currently perceives as our greatest resource for wisdom and encouragement.  

We call this resource, Facebook.  Maybe you’ve consulted it as well.

On Facebook somebody posted the following quote:

“When nobody else celebrates you, celebrate yourself.  When nobody else compliments you, compliment yourself.  It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged.  It’s up to you.  Encouragement should come from the inside.”  

Do you agree with this quote?  Of course, you can receive encouragement from yourself, but God’s Word should be your primary source of encouragement.  

As Christian believers, we find encouragement from our Father God through His Word.  As we are encouraged by our Father, we gain insight and wisdom which allows us to share what we learn as encouragement to others.  

There are two basic ways we can encourage.  Appreciation and affirmation.

Appreciation is confirmation of works.  We appreciate what a person has done or accomplished.  Congratulatory.  A pat on the back for a job well done.

Affirmation goes deeper.  Affirmation is praising a person’s character or who he or she is.  

Both appreciation and affirmation are forms of encouragement, but appreciation is conditional upon some kind of achievement.  Affirmation encourages us for who we are, regardless of our successes or failures.  

Allow me to share an example.  Let’s say I am encouraging my pastor.  

“Pastor Jim, you gave an awesome sermon this morning”

This is appreciative encouragement.  Jim would likely feel encouraged, but it’s conditional.  If he hadn’t given a great sermon he may not have received a kind word of encouragement.  

If instead I would say “Pastor Jim, your preaching reflects the love you have for your church family.  I appreciate having you as our shepherd and spiritual leader.”

See the difference?  The second compliment was unconditional and not based on achievement as much as character.  Now I’m not saying to never give appreciative encouragement.  Both forms are edifying and serve to build someone up.  But consider how you can embellish your congratulatory compliment to speak about their character as well.  Taking encouragement to a higher level.

Which form of encouragement do we receive from God?  

God loves us for who we are, not what we do.  God’s Word encourages us by assurance (faith) and inspiration.

So then, since our goal should be as Christians to be a reflection of Christ, we should strive to insure our encouragement is not just appreciative, but affirming.

It doesn’t matter how secure or successful a person may be, genuine encouragement is always desired and appreciated.  We all need encouragement on a regular basis.  

As I stated earlier, our primary source of encouragement should come from God’s Word.  Two of my favorite passages that have given me encouragement are:

(James 1:2-4 ESV) “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” 

(Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” 

Sharing a verse with someone is always an excellent way to encourage them.  But to truly encourage someone by affirmation, you need to invest in them a bit more.  

Your encouragement needs to come from your heart.  Pure, no hidden agenda.  Just a heartfelt desire to bolster someone’s faith and share a slice of hope.  A pure reflection of Christ.

Encouragement should not stop with a few kind words.  Genuine encouragement should come from your heart and needs to be backed up with prayer, caring and a genuine interest in the person’s well-being.

True heartfelt encouragement is almost like adoption.  We commit ourselves to being a part of their lives and to share in their joys as well as their trials.

We invest ourselves in their life.  We mentor and disciple.  We love them as Christ loves us.

Several years ago, when I was still relatively new to my church I was blessed by being a part of the Men’s Ministry group.  The genuine heartfelt encouragement I received from the brothers in that ministry blessed me and modeled for me what a relationship with a brother in Christ should look like.

I remember receiving a letter from one of them.  He shared with me how much he appreciated my input at the meetings and how proud he was of me and my growth as a Christian.  That is encouragement by affirmation.

This was an actual hand-written letter.  When is the last time you received a hand written letter from someone?

Let me tell you, it had an enormous impact on me.  The fact that he took the time to put pen to paper meant a great deal to me.

We all fire off an occasional email or post a nice comment on Facebook to encourage someone.  Maybe we’ll buy a greeting card and use someone else’s words to express ourselves to them.  But nothing compares to the encouragement you receive from a written letter.

We see this modeled for us in Scripture by the Apostles.  In the New Testament writings, the church was constantly receiving encouragement from letters written to them by the apostles.  

These letters, or epistles almost all follow a format that begins and ends with an encouraging word.

Every letter Paul wrote began with a greeting that included “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”.  

Doesn’t get much more encouraging than that, right?  In fact, the letters written by John, Peter and James all have similar greetings.  

When we read the epistles, are they primarily filled with congratulatory encouragement or are they affirming?  They are affirming.  So then, our encouragement to others should be affirming as well.

In the epistles, the heart of the apostles are revealed.  There is no question how much they love their brothers and sisters in Christ.  Christ himself is reflected in their words of admonishment and praise.  

Along with the general message, the apostle writing the letter almost always give thanks for them and prays over them. 

So here is my challenge to you.  Write someone a letter of encouragement.  I guarantee it will brighten their day and encourage them in a tangible way that cannot be achieved by emails or greeting cards.  Use affirmation in your praise.  

It will show them that they are worthy of your time and attention.  That they truly matter to you.  That you truly love them as Christ loves the church.  

Who needs encouragement in your life?  How about those who are unemployed or underemployed?  How about the newlyweds who are building their lives together?  

How about the military wives with children who are watching the recent developments in the middle-east and preparing for possible deployments.  Do you think they need encouragement?

It doesn’t take long to come up with a long list of our brothers and sisters that are enduring trials of some kind.  Imagine how much a written letter can bring refreshment and hope into their lives.  

A few minutes of your day and a 49 cent stamp could have an enormous impact on someone’s life.  

Amen?

To Serve or Not to Serve

I’d like to share with you a passage from Philippians that speaks to me about serving in ministries.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

         

(Philippians 2:1-11 ESV)

When Jesus called the apostles into service, each one of them joyfully accepted the calling.  They left behind their families, their jobs and all of their worldly possessions for the opportunity to serve with Jesus. 

When we think of missionaries we have mental images of dedicated brothers and sisters in Christ who left behind comfortable lives with air conditioning and a Starbucks on every corner to live a modest and sometimes primitive life among the indigenous people they were lead to serve.

So what is the motivation to serve?  The apostles took only the clothes on their back and relied on the kindness of strangers for their physical sustenance. 

Missionaries receive support from churches, but it’s typically just enough to meet their basic needs. 

You might say they were being obedient by following the calling of the Lord.  Yes, that is true.  1 Samuel 12:24 teaches us to “fear the lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart.  For consider what great things He has done for you.”

Or, you might say that they served because it made them feel good.  When we help or give to others it does make us feel good doesn’t it? 

When Christmas comes everyone has the spirit of giving.  We are happy and joyful as we stroll through the malls looking for that special gift that lets our loved ones know how much they mean to us.  “God loves a joyful giver”

(2 Corinthians 9:7)

But there’s more. 

When we think of a ministry as us doing something for someone else and then getting a warm and fuzzy, we aren’t seeing the whole picture.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about serving in ministry.  Now don’t tell anyone because if you do, then pretty soon everyone will want to serve.

People who serve in ministries receive greater blessings than those they serve.

God doesn’t need us to do his work.  He is fully capable of spreading the gospel message to every corner of the earth without our help. 

He is fully able to feed and clothe every hungry person on the face of the earth.  God doesn’t need us to do these things for him.  God uses fallen man in His service because when we serve we glorify Him. 

When we serve out of love for our brothers and sisters we are reflecting Jesus and his love for the church.  God wants to share the blessings of ministries with us so we can experience through our service to others the grace and unconditional love he pours out to us every day.  

It is also an invitation to come along side Him and to see what he sees, feel what he feels, hear what he hears.  It is an invitation to experience what Christ experiences when he ministers to us.

A ministry doesn’t have to mean joining a group of people.  A ministry can be just you. 

A year or so ago when I would drive through our neighborhood burger joint, Jack in the Box, I would see this homeless man standing nearby asking for change from those who passed by.

I had always been very judgmental of the homeless.  I never gave them money because I felt like they were there because of poor choices they had made, and the money I gave them would just be used for beer, drugs or cigarettes.  But this one day, something in my heart changed. 

As I was pulling up to the drive thru the Lord moved me to buy an extra sandwich and a cup of coffee to give to this man.  This was unsettling for me to say the least, and I almost blew it off.  But instead I obeyed. 

I drove over to the man, rolled down my window and handed him the sandwich and coffee.  He thanked me and then before I knew what was happening I found myself saying “This is not from me, it’s from Jesus.  Jesus loves you and wanted me to share his love for you by giving you this food” 

Where the heck did this come from?  I did’t consider evangelism as one of my spiritual gifts.  The thought of sharing the gospel message to strangers terrified me. 

Homeless people disgusted me.  And yet here I am, sharing the gospel message with a homeless person and then reaching out to shake his hand.

I drove away from that encounter kind of numb, but very vibrant and alive.  I felt a joy an amazing joy in my heart.  I felt like something had changed inside me.  And I was right.

The next time I saw Roy I parked and walked over to bring him his sandwich and coffee.  He told me that he appreciated the food and coffee very much, but what he appreciated even more was that I took the time to talk with him.  He thanked me for looking him in the eye, for shaking his hand.  For asking him his name. 

That is how he received my gift.  More than food what he craved was to be seen as a fellow man.  A brother.  He craved acceptance over charity. 

I believe my interaction with Roy was preparing me for my involvement with church planting in Otay Ranch and my recent involvement with a homeless ministry called Jesus Cares. 

I met Roy where he was at, just like we are reaching the people of Otay Ranch where they are at, and just like the people who walk the streets with Jesus Cares meet the homeless where they are at, and just like Jesus is meeting us where we are at.    

In every ministry Marissa or I have been a part of, God has revealed himself to us.  God has used our service to enrich our lives in one way or another.  We have grown closer to Christ through our service in ministries.

That’s the hidden reward of service. 

That’s the richness that you can only receive by being a doer of his word, not just a hearer.  (James 1:22)

So you might be saying “I’d like to serve on a ministry, but I don’t think I’d be very good at it.”  Good.  That makes you even more qualified!

In the Old Testament, God rarely used those who appeared to be the “most likely to succeed” to do His work.  He isn’t looking at your experience.  He’s looking at your heart. 

Or maybe you’re saying “I’m just not a people person”.   Well the Apostles Matthew and Paul weren’t exactly people persons either. 

Matthew was a tax collector who was hated by the Jews and barely tolerated by the Romans who employed him.  His only friends were thieves, thugs and fellow tax collectors. 

Paul was responsible for the persecution and death of scores of Christians. 

And yet, God used them mightily. 

If the Lord has put serving in ministry on your heart, don’t worry about how he will use you.  Just trust that he will and follow his leading. 

Ministries are a blessing not a task.  

If you think of it as doing your community service, you have missed the point, and worse, you’ll miss the blessing.

Seize The Day!

In Psalm 39:4-6 the psalmist calls out to God,

“O LORD, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!”
(Psalm 39:4-6 ESV)

Do you have the courage to ask this question? Do you really want to know how much longer you have to live? The writer of this psalm is so desperate to make his life more meaningful he asks God to count his days, so that he can make his days count.

If you did know the exact day you were going to die, what would you do differently? Would you find all of your selfish pursuits as enjoyable? Or would you place more value on time spent with your loved ones? Knowing how much time you had left before you were going to stand before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and face His judgment, would you spend more time in His Word?

When we stand at the throne room of God, and bow down before Him, that’s our final exam. Everything we’ve thought, done and didn’t do will be recounted and we will be held accountable for how we lived our life. Did you study for this exam or were you planning to just “wing it”?

So many of us go about our lives with blinders on. Wallowing in complacency thinking that our day of judgment is so far away why worry about it now? Surely there will be time later to clean up our act and put aside our childish ways, right?

We are not guaranteed there will be a tomorrow.

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:13-14 ESV)

How sad it is that many of us need a terminal illness or to endure some life threatening event before we can appreciate the days we have.

We work and toil our lives away, often at the expense of our family and for what? In Luke 12:16-21 we learn of the parable of the rich fool:

“And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21 ESV)

We are taught by the world to work, work, work and to save, save, save; looking forward to our retirement days. Then, and only then are we free to “live life to it’s fullest”. I’m not saying we should not plan for our retirement years, but don’t let that plan consume you to the point that you let your current life slip you by.


The message is clear. Make your days count. The only things you know for certain are the moments that have already passed, and you can’t change any of that. If change is necessary in your life, and trust me, we ALL need to make changes in our life, the time to act is now. Today.

Counting your days is easy. Ready? Let’s start with today…..one….STOP. It’s that simple. We can only be sure of today, so make today count. Study for your final exam my friends. Make sure your house is in order. Don’t be a fool. Live for today, not tomorrow. You never know when there’s going to be a pop quiz.

Psalm 37 ~ Fret Not Over Evildoers

This morning I was blessed and comforted by reading through Psalm 37. This has been a tumultuous week, filled with quarrels and disputes as Christians faced off against supporters of gay marriage, and used social networks as their battle ground.

It’s been a classic battle, with each side proudly displaying their team’s flag as their profile pic. Like any civil battle, the fighting got personal and there was division within families. Suddenly people found themselves anxiously scanning their “friends lists” to see which side of the battle their FB family had chosen.

The reasons for and against this matter have been posted in great detail, so I see no need to regurgitate them here.

As I read through Psalm 37, peace filled my heart. I was reassured by my Heavenly Father that I need not fret over who “wins” this battle. What I need to remain focused on is my walk and my testimony, and working on leading my family through the spiritual warfare we incur every day, not just this particular battle.

“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”
(Psalm 37:8-9 ESV)

The world is full of sin, and it isn’t likely that my opinion posted on a social media site will pursuade anyone to switch sides in the battle. It isn’t up to me to judge the sin in this world.

“And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26 ESV)

My duty as a Christian man is to lead my family along the narrow path that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ layed down for us when he gave his life for us on the cross two thousand plus years ago today. I need not concern myself over worldly matters such as gay marriage because it will be dealt with sufficiently by our God in His timing.

My duty as a Christian man is to put on the whole armor of God so that I may stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11), and to gird my family for this battle as well.

Gay marriage may be the hot topic this week, but there are a multitude of sins out there that directly threaten me and my family daily. Should any of these sins enter my home, be sure that I will attack swiftly and mightily. I can’t control the households of others, but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).

Psalm 37:
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.
Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD upholds his hand.
I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.
Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
The LORD will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him."
(Psalm 37:1-40 ESV)

What Legacy Will You Leave Behind?

What will be your legacy? .

As Christians we must look no further than the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as our legacy model. Will people remember you as a man of God? Will they recall Christ-like characteristics in your words and your deeds? How do you handle conflict in your life? Are you thought of as quarrelsome or as a peacemaker? Are you considered by others as prideful or humble? Do your words build others up or tear them down? Is your heart filled with the love of God and the desire to share that love with others or are you driven by selfish, hedonistic desires?

Being a man of God is a full time job. If someone meets you twice and on one occasion you are a quarrelsome, prideful, hedonistic jerk, and on the other occasion you are a reflection of Christ, which character trait will prevail? Sadly, your legacy will be not only remembered as the jerk, but you can now add hypocrite to the list as well!

Most of the time we don’t get second chances when it comes to making an impression on someone. The baseline to remember is whatever is buried in your heart will rise up in your words and actions. Immerse yourself in the Word of God and Christ will be reflected in your life. Drown yourself in the ways of the world, and well, you get the picture.

When we immerse ourselves we become completely enveloped or surrounded. If you are learning a foreign language, learning the words and phrases is a great start, but if you immerse yourself by living in that region where the dialect is spoken, you develop a richness and understanding of not only the language, but the culture thus making the new language a part of your life. You not just learn the language, you live it.

How many of you adults remember everything you learned in school? You learned it well enough to get a (hopefully) passing grade. But if you didn’t apply it in your daily life, you probably forgot most or all of it.

This becomes most relevant when it comes to our study and understanding of Scripture. Developing a head knowledge of God’s Word does not make us Christ-like in our words and actions. Satan can recite every word of the Bible, but it hasn’t done much to improve his character. Application of God’s Word is how we change our lives and bind His Word into our hearts. Until our hearts are filled with Christ, we aren’t going to act like Christ.

I have been blessed with some study time in the Book of James and here are two passages that speak to this subject:

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:19-22 ESV)

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13-18 ESV)

We are all going to die. The one thing that doesn’t get buried with us in the grave is our legacy. Our character and how we lived our lives will live on in the hearts of those who’s lives we leave behind. Make sure every day you enjoy on this earth is a day lived for Christ. Don’t just learn it, live it. Be doers of His Word, not hearers only and reap a harvest of righteousness, sharing the bountiful harvest with those around you.

Proverbs 26:11 ~ A Dog Returns to His Vomit

“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.”
(Proverbs 26:11 ESV)

Sometimes Scripture is written as a parable or proverb that needs some unpacking or research to fully grasp the richness and meaning of it’s message. Then there are graphic verses such as this one that are plainly stated so that any fool like me can understand it.

There are times God speaks to us in a whisper, and then there are times when he smacks us in the face with a message so clear, it’s impossible for us to miss it.

I have a thorn in my side that I struggle with, and recently I had occasion to confess that sin to the LORD. Part of my prayer included praying through Proverbs 26:11. No more than 10 minutes later, I let our dogs outside into the yard to do their morning business. As I was standing there waiting, one of the dogs vomited on the grass, walked away, and then returned a moment later to his vomit.

I’m the first to admit that I’m not always the sharpest crayon in the box when it comes to reading retention, and I don’t always learn my life lessons on the first pass. Thankfully, my Father in Heaven knows this about me as well. So then, it came as no surprise that He gave me this visual reminder of His Word, just in case reading it didn’t quite present a clear enough image for me.

My pastor spoke recently of the parable of the sower and the seeds (Luke 8:4-8). A few days later I was in my garden pulling weeds and experienced how the weeds growing in the areas that had weed cloth were very easy to pull because their roots were shallow. However, the weeds growing in deep soil were much harder to uproot.

I love that my God knows me and is ready to meet me where I am. He knows how best to communicate with me, and I frequently get reminders of His Glory through how He reveals Himself to me in nature.

I’m praying that the next time I am tempted to judge a brother for his sin that God doesn’t find the need to illustrate Matthew 7:4-5 to me. That’s gonna hurt.

Was Peter A Coward?

Did the Apostle Peter have doubts about his faith? Was he a coward?

Let’s look at two incidents involving Peter. Turning to the Book of Matthew we read:

“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33 ESV).

Aside from being credited with reciting the shortest prayer in the Bible (“Lord, save me”), most of us think of this as Peter failing to trust Jesus completely, thus sinking into the water. But we should look at the fact that Peter even got out of the boat! The rest of the disciples were hanging on for dear life. None of them took that step of faith, did they?

Ok, here’s one more. After the Lord’s Supper, Jesus and the Apostles move to the Mount of Olives where Jesus foretells Peter’s denial.

“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.” (Matthew 26:30-35 ESV)

Then, after the arrest and “trial” of Jesus, Peter is approached by several bystanders:

“Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.”
(Matthew 26:69-75 ESV)

Here Peter is often portrayed as a coward. But was he? Again, where are the other disciples? Only Peter was brave enough to risk jail and torture to follow behind Jesus and be present during the trial. Was Peter afraid? Of course he was. But again we have to put all of this in perspective. In today’s terms of being a born-again Christian, Peter would be considered a “Baby Christian”, barely three years into his faith. How many of you were willing to jump into a raging sea or risk persecution for your faith at that time in your walk? I suspect most “mature” Christians would still be sitting in the boat or hiding in the bushes. But not Peter.

Jesus knew the humble fisherman Simon was the one that would eventually lead the upcoming church age. That’s why he renamed him Peter (Aramaic = Cephas, which means “the rock”).

There will be times in our Christian life when our faith is tested. Sometimes our efforts to follow Jesus may mean taking a risk. We can not let fear keep us from taking that step of faith outside of the safety of the boat. We may indeed sink, but we must trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus to lift us up when we do.

One of my favorite authors T.S. Eliot wrote “If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are”. Peter knew exactly how tall he was. Do you?