SONday Devotions

Ship's Log  04.19.2015



Ahoy Mateys! I pray that these devotions bless ye in a big way!

SONday Devotions

Pearls From The Sea

Don't Fear the Tidal Waves in Your Life

By MaryLu Tyndall

   But his fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people of Canaan, for they are stronger than we are. So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim, or giants, the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:31-33 AMP).

   You know the story. Moses leads the people of Israel from Egypt and brings them to the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of promise. So, they send some scouts in to check things out. Of the twelve scouts, only two, Joshua and Caleb, give a positive report. The other ten respond as you read above.

   Every time I read this, I always say to myself, what a bunch of ninnies those ten were! How could they not believe God would help them defeat all their enemies? I mean, God already promised over and over to give them the land, and He'd already performed countless miracles for them. Come on, Israelites!

   But then God put me in my place in His gentle, quiet way. He simply said, Don't you do the same thing with your problems?" Ouch. Yes. I do. All the time. Whenever something bad happens, or a situation develops that seems impossible, I automatically start to worry. Yes, I pray. I've at least grown that much in my walk. But after the prayer, I worry. How is God going to do this? The problem is so big. It's massive. Impossible! There seems to be no way out. You know the type of problems I'm referring to. Problems like a lost loved one who is drifting further and further away from God, a lost job with no prospects in sight, overwhelming financial problems, ill health with no cure, a broken relationship that seems irreparable. Whatever it is, my response is to worry. I pray, let it go, but then I worry again. I feel like there's a massive tidal wave striking the ship and Jesus is at the helm, shouting: "Hold on, it's going to get rough, but trust Me!"

   Then I read something in a devotional the other day.

   "Whatever occupies your mind the most becomes your god. Worries, if indulged, become idols."

   Yikes! When I worry, I'm basically telling God just like the ten scouts did above, "The problem is too big. I don't think you can handle it!" I'm giving the problem more credit and more power than God. In essence, I'm worshiping my problem. Boy, did that set me straight! Because I know there's nothing and no one more powerful than God. No situation, no relationship, no job, no lost loved one, no health problem, no heartache. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

   Remember how David went out to fight the giant, Goliath, when everyone else was shaking in his boots? Don't worship the giant tidal waves in your life.

   In reality, you plus God are the giant wave! And the tidal waves are but tiny ripples in God's sight.

Shake the Sand out of Your Shorts

By Debbie Mitchell

   I love going to the ocean and walking along the shoreline, allowing the waves to caress my feet. During the course of the day, the tides can change how the waves come and go. Sometimes, the waves are small and gentle, and you can walk along the shoreline without any fear of being pushed into the water. Then there are times when the crash of waves is so strong, you have to be careful your feet don't fly out from under you.

   Years ago, when I used to go to the ocean quite often, I saw a small child playing along the shoreline, and a wave came in and knocked him down. When he got back up, his shorts were filled with so much sand that it weighed him down as he waddled back to his parents.

   Life can hit us as hard as a wave crashing onto the shore.

   In our spiritual walk, when things weigh heavy on our minds, we can be like that child. Our shorts get so full of sand (worry, fear, illness, etc.) that our steps begin to slow down. At times like this, we need to call upon our Savior to lighten our load.

   In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

   Jesus doesn't want us to be burdened by this life. He wants us to be strong so that we can face anything that comes our way. And when we occasionally fall in the sand and water, through Christ we are able to stand up and shake the sand from our shorts and continue on without delay.

   Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV).

   Be prepared for what's ahead. Plant your feet firmly in the sand so that you can stand against any waves that may come your way.

   To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy-to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Amos 1:24-25 NLT).

Have a blessed SONday, Mateys!!!!