Stormy Waters

I still need to go back and cover all the bases of the Walk messages, but I need to get a few things off of my chest.

Ready yourself. Here comes the spiel!!

I was reading this plan on the YouVersion Bible app called Finding Comfort In Pain as recommended by my SGL, and although I'm not in pain at the moment, I can still relate to quite a few of the devotions.

One day focused on faith as seen in Matthew 7:7-11.
In short, the disciples and Jesus are out on the water. Jesus is taking a nap in a corner of the boat while the disciples freak out at a mega-storm and wake Jesus up.
When they do, He tells the storm to have peace and turns to His disciples, saying, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it ye have no faith?"
As the author of the devotional said, it's as if Jesus expected His followers to be confident of their safety as long as Jesus was in the boat with them.

If He is for us, who can possibly stand against us?

Don't get so caught up by the storm outside that you forget you're under a roof. It sounds silly, but so many of us are guilty. It's far too easy to get preoccupied with the chaos around us and forget Who's leading us by the hand.

As an extra tidbit, my July 9th paperback devotional gave great wisdom for better understanding the value of trials.
Yes, they're tough as nails. Yes, they usually hurt like heck, but tourists never buy jagged, unshapely rocks. They seek out the worn, weather-beaten, smooth river stones that have seen many a violent windstorm. I believe God doesn't dish out trials to His beloveds like playing cards, but He allows them to come upon you because He knows it's the best route to take.
You need a bit of fire to toughen you up.
By the time a trial has reached your face, it has already obtained God's stamp of approval to trespass into your life and He has already arranged a few baths of sunscreen and aloe vera.
The bottom line: chill out. God's got this. If He can harden the heart of a pharaoh, He can soften the heart of a store clerk. He faithfully tends to our small, feathered friends, so how much more must He care for us; aligning the stars, providing job openings, red lights, green lights, and just what we need to hear?

Never forget how much He loves.
You're almost home! Dance and rejoice that we're one day closer to our home in Heaven, and then the New Earth.