by BobA. Troutt
Peter was a man who stepped off the boat and onto the water to go unto Christ. Peter walked upon the water such as Christ did. Peter had it all together at that moment and time. He was walking in perfect love with his eyes upon Christ. Peter had it together. What about you? Are you walking in His perfect love? Do you have your eyes upon Christ? Have you stepped off your boat onto life’s stormy seas? Are you in complete control through Christ? If not, then you need to get it together. Everyone must face life and what is has to offer, whether it is good or bad. If you face life by walking hand and hand with Christ you will have the assuring victory, even in defeat, if you do not take your eyes off of Him. There are so many times in this life that you will not have it together. When the devil stirred up the winds and the storm raged against Peter as he walked to Jesus on the water, Peter took his eyes off Jesus for just a few seconds and he began to sink. Think about it. You’ve been there (because you didn’t have it all together). Peter called upon the Lord. He didn’t call on the other disciples; he called on Jesus. Peter was in a situation you have probably been in at one time or another. He was in trouble. Peter called out to the Lord for Him to save him. That was Peter’s first line of defense to get things back together; call upon the Lord. Jesus extended His hand, took hold of Peter’s hand and pulled him into the ship. The storm ceased. Getting it together and keeping it together is a full time job. The more you build your relationship with the Lord, the stronger you will be. It does not happen overnight. It is a lifetime commitment. When you think you have it all together, you need to be careful because you still have room for improvement. You will always have the need to strive for Godly perfection. Peter was walking on the water like Christ. He probably thought he had it all together. But, he still sunk. Beware of Satan and his tricks, snares and pits. Sometimes he strikes unaware and without warning. The best thing to do is keep it together with Christ and be ready at all times.
You will continuously face life’s storms that will disrupt your life from time to time. Sometimes it maybe just a small shower or a light drizzle. However, it could be a raging tornado or an out of control hurricane coming from all directions. But, how you react to those disturbances in your life will either make or break you in your attempt to live a Christian life. You will experience life’s storms sometime or another long life’s way. You find here where the disciples had gone over to the other side while Jesus slept in the hinder part of the ship. And while on their journey to the other side, there arose a great storm of wind and waves that beat into the ship so that it was full. Jesus was asleep; the disciples went to Him, woke Him and told Him master carest thou not that we perish. Jesus arose, rebuked the wind and spoke unto the sea, peace be still. The wind ceased and there was a great calm. Even those who travel with Jesus experience storms. Everyone will experience life’s storms.
Matthew 5:45
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
A lot of the times when people get saved they think within themselves that everything will be great and alright and that they are safe and secure. But, sadly to say, it’s far from the truth. Sure, Jesus will watch over you and bring you through. However, you are not exempt from life’s storms, troubles, tribulations and temptations. The Lord allows you to experience these storms and go through them throughout your life to mold and shape you into that He wants you to be. You are to use those times of hardship to strive toward Godly perfection.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
I want to say that Jesus accompanies you through the storms. Even though it may seem He is unconcerned and nowhere to be found, He is there. He may not always calm the storm, but He will always calm you, if you’ll take heed to Him. I want to say, maturity comes by enduring the storms.
Mark 4:40
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
Mark 4:41
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
It is the storms of life that reveals our true nature.
James 1:2
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
James 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
James 1:4
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Christians, count it all joy in facing life’s storms and let it press you unto Godly perfection.
*****
Turning Point
Hanging by a Knot at the End of a Rope and It’s
Coming United, Falling off Into Nothing
Although one in this life may travel many roads, it is to the one who keeps their eyes upon the horizon to face a new day and their backs to the dust of dawn that one can reach their uttermost fulfillment by and through the leading spirit of God’s gentle hand.
Many times, we are caught up in things that bind us up and leave us hanging. Our joy and peace is stolen and swept away. We are too often left hanging at the end of our rope, crippled and wounded with nowhere to go. Our hopes and dreams have all but vanished, likened unto the knot of the rope that slowly slips away and lets us fall off into nothing. Life has its many tricks, snares and traps that bring a toll upon us all. How far will we go? How long will it take us to look up and not look back? The past is gone; that which lies ahead should be our focus. What do we do then, give up and let go of the rope or try to grab on with the other hand and pull ourselves up? It is our choice! When the smell of rope burns in our hands and we are giving all that we have to hold on, what then? What is the answer? Is it to let go and blow into our hands or hold on tighter to the rope until it hurts no more? Life is tricky. We all have our times of dangling from a rope. We all are tried, tempted and burdened. We all will fail, stumble and fall. But to those who hang on, it is a far sweeter joy. Maybe we feel like our rope (life) is coming untied (apart) and we are hanging by a thin thread and it is the only thing we have left. We need to look up with our hearts unto the Lord. Give our all to Him; surrender it all to Him, take His hand, let go of the rope and trust Him. We are not hanging from the end of the rope because of Him; it is probably because we made some wrong choices along the way. If we will put our trust and love in Him, we can climb back up that rope to the edge and from the edge we can begin again.
Too many times in life, we fall off into nothing and we are just there. Our life and everything around us is just there—no more or no less, useless in so many ways. We are lost and searching to be found, seen but not heard, heard but not seen, meaningless, hopeless, depressed and in despair (nothing). It takes a hunk of coal millions and millions of years under pressure to be a diamond. How much of ourselves and our time have we given the Lord to make that sparkle in our heart? Do we really know Him? Are we like a diamond with a smooth edge but with a little roughness? Or, would we still be an old hunk of coal? Time after time, we try doing it on our own and are left hanging. How many times have we felt the rope slipping through our hands when everything was out of our control, we had no place to turn and our world was falling into pieces? Which would be the lesser of the two evils, hanging by the end of the rope or being tied up in it? There is a way, an answer, and a light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope; look up unto the Lord. We need to cry out for His help, accept His love, fly high above the entangled mess, be set free as the wind and dance about the clouds of Heaven. There is a way that is true. What choice should we choose?
The Lord said, “My peace I give unto you.” We cannot go through life skipping rope, for our time will come. We need to be ready, be prepared
, be steadfast and unmoved, lest we be caught off guard. Let not our hearts be troubled.
Ropes can burn. They can also tie us up, bind us and hold us back. Life is cruel sometimes and it can take a toll on us. But, what is life but a vapor? We may think we have the world by the tail, but at the same time we may have been losing our grip. We may have had it all and we let it slip through our fingers. None of the above is what is important. What really matters is where we are today and how we will face tomorrow. Fly, fly high above it all; trust in Him, the Lord, thy God, and His son, Jesus. Soar on the wings of His Spirit and be free. Jesus said that if He set us free, we’re free indeed. Let go of the rope and fall into His hands.
*****
Turning Point
Falling off in a Hole and Pulling it in on You
Sometimes, life can catch you up in the moment. There comes a time, from time to time, that your world seems like it is falling in around you. You seem to catch it from every angle and every side. All hope is gone, dismay lingers in the balcony, every little problem becomes Goliaths and your trouble becomes a raging storm. What should you do? Where should you turn? Is there any hope? What have you done?
“Why me, Lord?” questions a trembling lip as hurt and despair brings out the tears.
Your heart lingers for that tiny glimmer of light, but the darkness is black and thick. You want to give up, get away, hide, rest a bit and rehash it all in moments of tranquility. You need to stand boldly, face it, be strong, trust in the Lord and put it in His hands. Or, you can give up, give in, fall off in a hole and pull it in on you. Could you get lost in a hole? How would you find your way out if there is no light? Could you feel your way out of the darkness by holding on to it? Would you stumble or fall because there is no light? Then ask yourself if you are worse off in the hole or out? If a hole has no bottom, where would you fall? Would you keep falling or could you grab hold of the darkness and pull your way back out? If the hole is down, would you fall through? If it is up, would you fall up? If the walls are slick, could you brace yourself and break your fall by pressing against the walls? But, what happens if the walls stretch? Well, you would have a bigger hole to fall through and it would be much deeper. But, there are still other things to consider. If you fall through the hole, would you fall out the other side? Does a hole have a top or bottom?
Falling into the rut of feeling sorry for yourself creates more problems and more troubles; it destroys more lives than any one thing in human nature. It can mislead, wrongly guide and direct your steps in the wrong way. Sitting down and talking with the Lord is far better than clamming up with a pooched out lip and sulking. It may seem easier to do the latter. But, He is there for you if you want Him. He will be the shoulder for you to cry on and He will be the one to dry your tears. However, you will not find Him hiding in a hole. Where you find Him will be when you humble down with an honest heart and broken spirit. Sit down quietly and think about things. Be honest with yourself and the Lord. You will see that the worst mistakes, bad moments, falls, defeats of battles and feeling sorry for yourself had an impact, some way or another, in your life.
Everyone falls off in a hole, from time to time, fail, fall, stumble and come up short. That is not the problem. It is when you give up, quit, throw in the towel, run, hide, disappear, blend in to the circumstances of it all and lose your voice to a hurt and broken spirit. You question why it always has to happen to you. Do you think anything would ever work out by feeling sorry for yourself? Was there anything you ever really accomplished that was right? Facing life and all its troubles is a far greater achievement than falling off in a hole and hiding. Two heads (the Lord and yours) are better than one – right? To find the way in the darkness, you need a light (Jesus is the light of the world). If God be for you, who can be against you? Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Coming out of the hole may take time to recover from. Accept the damage and turn over every stone. Let not your heart be troubled, for the Lord is with you. Be not afraid, for He is alive. It is so easy to fall off in a hole, give up and give in. Anyone that is weak can do that. It takes a stronger person to keep fighting by taking their licks and punches. Endurance is the key to winning the fight. To be strong, not only physically but also mentally and spiritually, comes from determination. But, always remember to win the fight – war is to know in your heart that there is nothing that God and you can’t handle. Let God go before you. Your faith must first activate Him. Your patience must give Him His time to work. Your long-suffering will bring you strength. And your love will give you peace and understanding.
It is easier to fall into a hole than to fall out of one. Today, life may seem one way but tomorrow it may be another. However, it doesn’t really matter if you let the Lord help you. No matter how it may look, He will guide you in the right direction if you take heed. But, you ask, how will you know? Let your spirit grow with His, trust in His word and step out on faith. For God has not given you the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, love and a sound mind. Let go of the fear that has you shackled, chained and bound down in locks. Let your faith be the key to unlock your bondage and let the Lord set you free. Crawl up out of the hole, face the day and conquer the world; press on to the everlasting end.
Faith moves mountains and faith moves God. Fear brings bondage. But, Godly love brings peace. Will you slip through the hole? Will you fall through to the other side? Will you let the darkness control you or will you reach for the light?
*****
Turning Point
Putting Back the Pieces with Some of the Pieces Missing
Putting back the pieces when all the pieces are there sometimes seems impossible. The struggles of life sometimes scatter the pieces so far apart there seems to be no hope, much less an answer. Life driven hardships, trials and troubles can anchor our lives and cause the pieces of our lives to seem unreachable. For some, life can be a breeze and they can take hold of life and move on. They can press forward with a new hope and a sound direction and leave the past behind. Life is hard, at times; it can be unfair and unjust. But, at the same time, it can be good. Is life what we make it? Can we say our troubles then are justifiably fair by the choices we have made? Life is like a puzzle in a box. When we are born, the box of puzzle pieces are tossed out onto the table. Our choices select the pieces. Some are good and some bad. As we grow older, we begin to see the picture. It starts coming together as more pieces (our choices) are put into place and the more we understand. Others may be of help and help us find the way, but at the same time they can hinder us and dim our vision. As life goes one, the more we live life whether good or bad, the better understanding we will have of the picture. Life is good when the puzzle all comes together. Life can be devastating if pieces of the puzzle are lost. How can we see the whole picture when some of the pieces are gone? No one ever said life would always be fair. It is then, I must say, that we must take the loss and what is left of our vision and press forward.
The twists and turns of life can be determined by our choices and actions. We have to take what we have of the picture and build on it. After we take that first step, we need to build the foundation, stand bold and firm on what we have, conquer the bad and reach forward with hope. We may not have all the pieces and some of them may be gone forever, but we can take what we have, face the morning summit and reach for an unlimited sky. We may even catch a ride on the tail of the wind or sparkle as the light beam. It may be a ride on a raindrop or by catching snowflakes on our tongue. It is our choice and our choice alone. Sometimes we have to face things alone which include the giants, pitfalls, quicksand pits and the long, dark valleys with no light of this world. The more pieces of the puzzle we put together, the clearer the picture. Do we say then that we should force the pieces together? Or, do we wait and look it all over with the hopes of really searching it out and making the right ch
oice?
Lost is lost. When we have to face our losses, it can be moving. If can open up a different way of seeing things. The picture may not always be what we first thought. Then again, it could be worse. Life is what we make it. It can be good when we are riding on the clouds high above the world without a care. At the same time, we could be crippled and lamed by life. We’ll barely be able to hold on and our feet will almost get knocked out from under us; we won’t have a leg to stand on.