Too deep to be shallow

　
Matthew 14:25-33
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

　

Peter had been right there with Jesus as he healed the sick, raised the dead, and fed thousands with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Yet when Jesus was approaching him by walking on water, Peter asked the shallow question, “is it you Jesus?”

When he realized it was truly Jesus, his faith pushed him off the edge of the shallow and into the deep water. He realized he couldn’t do it by himself so he put his trust in Jesus and took that step. He began to walk on water. He was in a place he had never been before yet he continued to walk.

But as soon as he put his mind back on himself and his situation, he began to sink. When he saw the wind he realized the dangers that surrounded him. He realized he could not control the outcome of the situation. We become our own problem when we try to control the outcome of our situations. We panic when we can’t see what lies ahead. We panic when the waves are crashing around us. We panic when the wind blows stronger in our life. We fear the winds and the waves, instead of stepping out on faith and walking on water.

Fear keeps us in the shallow end. The shallow end represents our past, disappointments, doubts, hurts, failures, struggles, afflictions, emotions and whatever else that hinders our walk with Christ.

The shallow end will keep us stagnant. If you try to swim in the shallow water to get to the deep, the sand will weigh you down and get in the way of your journey.

But with Jesus you walk on water past the shallow end into the deep. He will take you by the hand never letting go if you keep your eyes on Him.

When Peter started to doubt, when he lost sight, he called out, “Lord save me!”

The bible says, “Immediately” Jesus reached out and caught him. Jesus immediately showed Peter grace, love and compassion inspite of his doubt in Him. His love for Peter was so great that He didn’t have to think about saving Peter, He just did it.

His love for us is the same way. He loves us so much that He immediately reaches out to us when we call on Him. He desires the same love in return. Unconditional, without doubt, without question, willing to do what He asks immediately.

God desires a deeper relationship with us. A relationship where nothing is hidden, there are no secrets, only truth.  The heart of God is deep and He wants to fill the shallow places in our heart with his depth. Psalm 42:7 says, "Deep calls unto deep." Nothing shallow can touch the depths. 

Identity Crisis

Don’t allow yourself to be another case of mistaken identity.
Who you were designed to be, disguised by worldly vanity.

Every day struggling to live up to the standards of society;
Longing, craving, striving to rise to the top like Beyonce and Jay Z.

Red bottom shoes, designer clothes and Coach purses,
Keeping up with the Kardashians is exhausting, even for the Joneses.

The world can no longer differentiate what is counterfeit and what is reality.
Your only source of belief comes from what you hear on the radio and see on TV.

You can follow the ways of the world that promise to take you higher,
But would becoming the next American Idol really satisfy your desire?

Seeking to pursue these carnal dreams and ambitions,
Is a distraction, façade, illusion and a contradiction.

To know your true identity and purpose,
You have to look deeper; it cannot be seen on the surface.

Every flaw and imperfection can be concealed with the most expensive make up,
But true beauty is found when you heed the Savior’s call to wake up.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Creator.
Seek His face daily; you will see you are destined for so much greater.

In the Ashes

I’ve experienced my share of hurt and pain in my life. I’ve experienced a life without God, insecurity, promiscuity, abandonment, and rejection.
I’ve experienced physical, mental and emotional abuse.
I’ve experienced being held captive in a prison of my own mind and my own flesh.
I’ve experienced suicidal thoughts which led to cutting myself out of anger and depression.
I’ve experienced being told no, not being accepted, misunderstood, and having a voice that was not heard.

These experiences had me buried in the ashes.

It’s in the ashes that we experience failures and disappointments.
In the ashes is our fleshly desires, our past, our painful memories and our deepest hidden secrets.
In the ashes is guilt, shame and defeat.
In the ashes is mental instability, fear and masked identity
In the ashes are the tight, uncomfortable places of life.

　
But what I have learned is that in the ashes our transformation comes.
The ashes will bring you on your face before the Lord.
The ashes will cause you to line up with the will of God.
The ashes will build your character and make you stronger.
The ashes will draw you to a place of clarity and direction.

Isaiah 61:3 says, “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”

God will exchange beauty for ashes if you let Him. When you begin to praise God for every challenge, every painful event, and everything that has distracted or discouraged you from your purpose, He will turn your mourning into joy.

There's more to me than what you see

There’s more to me than what you see. …

On the outside you see me as quiet and weak
But on the inside I am humble and meek.

On the outside you see me as open and vulnerable
But on the inside I am willing and honorable

On the outside you see my failures and mistakes
But on the inside every flaw is covered by His grace

On the outside you see the residue of ashes from my past
But on the inside is the beauty of another chance

On the outside you judge the color of my skin
But on the inside the color of my heart matches His

On the outside you see my worth as less
But on the inside I am invaluably blessed

On the outside you see my struggles and disappointments
But on the inside I am lining up with His predestined appointment

On the outside you see that I am an imperfect mess
But on the inside I have been anointed for such a time as this

On the outside you prejudged without getting to know me
But on the inside there is more to me than what you see

Seated At His Feet

Seated at His Feet
“Now while they were on their way, it occurred that Jesus entered a certain village, and a woman named Martha received and welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister named Mary, who seated herself at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His teaching.

But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me!

But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things;

There is need of only one or but a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
The significance of Mary seated at Jesus’ feet is that she was in a place of stillness and contentment. Mary still served as Martha did but she knew that listening to the word was more important than anything else going on around her. She took time to listen for direction, and in the process she learned to recognize the voice of the Lord.

It’s so important to be seated at His feet to listen to the word, listen to Him speak, and to hear His direction and purpose for your life. It will be harder to talk to God and get into the word if we are not doing it everyday. We must put our life on hold to fellowship with Jesus. Fellowship comes when we take the time to give Him our heart in exchange for His.

We live in a fast-paced world; always in a hurry, always too busy. Yet we serve a God that is never in a hurry. The problem is not a matter of “not having enough time to pray or read the word”. Self-discipline is what is needed. Martha was too busy running around but Mary chose to sit at His feet. Mary chose the good portion which would not be taken away from her.

When we don’t take time to hear the word or to fellowship with Jesus we begin to complain. Luke 10:40 “Lord, is it nothing to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me!” Martha began to look at the obstacle she was facing, instead of bringing the burden to Jesus. Trials and afflictions should bring us to the feet of Jesus.

Although Martha was trying to please Jesus with her actions, she did open her home to Jesus. Would you be willing to open your home to Jesus right now, or would you be too afraid of what He might see? God wants us to have a servants heart like Martha and at the same time be a worshipper like Mary. When you take time out daily to fellowship with Jesus, He will change your heart and your home. He will redirect us, strengthen us and refresh us.

When was the last time you worshipped at Jesus’ feet?