Sea and Shore

Matthew 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.

Matthew 14:29 "Come," He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

We must never put our dreams of success as God's purpose for us; His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. The question of getting to a particular end is a mere incident. What we call the process, God calls the end.

What is my dream of God's purpose? His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay in the middle of the turmoil calm and unperplexed, that is the end of the purpose of God. God is not working towards a particular finish; His end is the process - that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God.

God's training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training and preparation, God calls the end.

God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present: if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious. -Oswald Chambers

Am I looking for the shore's destination or the Son's salvation?

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. The only way to know hope, is to know Him. God is not holding out on me; He's waiting on me. He is giving me a future and a hope right now. Standing between His plans and my "future" is my choice of immediate intimacy. He gives everything to me and I give everything to Him; He receives me as His love and I receive Him as my life. THEN, I will know Him. THEN, I will live out His relationship with me in the details of my days. As the saying goes, "the future is now."

Whether the seas are raging or resting, where are my sights set at this moment? Personally, my sights are constantly searching the shoreline...searching for that "ship to come in"...searching for satisfaction like a hurricane wind. That ship may be financial, it may emotional, it may be physical, it may tiny, it may be huge. It could be anything that the moment desires.

In reality, I am already satisfied and the ship is a mirage. A ship desired is not a ship required when walking on water! Every moment, whether I walk or sink, depends solely on where my sights are set. Peter's choice then is my reality now. My sights (body, heart and mind) are constantly set somewhere (water, shore or Savior) at any moment. Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

The waves (trials, circumstances, distractions, etc.) can be very real, overwhelming and even deadly. The question is not whether or not I see them; the question is whether or not I see ONLY them. They are temporary, but they are tempting me from the Eternal One. If I am determined to either rise above the waves or dismiss them altogether, I am still focused on the waves! It's not about the waves, it's about walking...simply because He says "Come!"

More real than the spray that drenches my face, is my Savior's love that holds me in Grace. Whether dark nights or clear days, He remains to soak in my praise. No matter the sight change my view, to behold and be held in this moment's Truth. -mlp

This is the plan; this is the hope and future: to call on Him, pray to Him, seek Him and we will be heard and found. What Brennan Manning calls the "now here." This moment may be a savage storm or a calm cruise. Either way, if I am straining to see the shoreline, I miss savoring the Savior. The moment is my gain or loss, depending on where I lift my eyes. Where does love lead me look? Right now, Who or what do I seek?

What are you looking at?

Enjoy Him, Michelle
mlpack1@yahoo.com