Life's Little Frustrations

I crept into the kitchen in the quiet and the dark,

Reached for the cookie jar, and my hand hit the mark.

I opened the lid and felt all around inside.

"Oh, no! Someone's eaten the last cookie," I cried.

John 15:13

John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Memorial Day. A time for remembering. A time for being extremely grateful to those fine young men and women who have given their lives in order for us to enjoy freedom from oppression, freedom from slavery to dictators. We owe to many others the privileges we enjoy day by day.

As we remember and appreciate and celebrate our physical freedom, we might be reminded of our spiritual freedom as well. It was also purchased at the price of death, a painful and humiliating death on a Roman cross. There Jesus purchased our spiritual freedom from the oppression of sin, freedom from slavery to our natural lusts and inclinations. He has opened for us the privileges of prayer, of being empowered by the Holy Spirit, of God's presence with us always, and of an eternal future in a beautiful place which has been designed especially for the pleasure of our fellowship with God forever. May we also remember and appreciate and celebrate our spiritual freedom and those who have taught us about it this Memorial Day.

Life's Little Frustrations

When you're in a hurry and ready to go,

Why are your children always so slow?

They have no sense of time, feel no need to speed,

Regardless of how much you urge them and plead.

Walking on the Waves 2

Matthew 14:26, "When the disciples saw him [Jesus] walking on the lake they were terrified. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear."

Sometimes Jesus comes when we least expect Him. Sometimes He comes at such a time or in such a way that we don't recognize Him. Also, we can become so caught up and so afraid in the storms of our lives that we don't realize that ,Jesus has come to us.

The story is told of a man who was caught in a flood. He climbed onto the roof of his house and prayed that God would rescue him. Some men came by in a boat and offered to take him to land, but the man said he was waiting for God to rescue him. A helicopter flew over, and the pilot offered to airlift the man to safety, but again the man refused, saying he was waiting for God to take care of him.

By and by a wave knocked the man into the water, and he drowned. When he got to heaven he asked God why He hadn't rescued him. God replied, I sent you a boat and a helicopter. What else were you waiting for?"

It is God's prerogative to answer our prayers in His way and according to His plans. We need to be pliable, flexible in His hand. But we also need to be wise enough to realize when God has answered our prayers and to recognize Him whenever, wherever, and however He comes to us.

Father, may I always be open to Your will and Your ways in my life. May I recognize Your hand when You move in answer to my prayers, even when Your answer is not what I expected. Amen.

Life's Little Frustrations

I drove into the drive-in and placed an order there.

I rode up to the window, entirely unaware,

Until I opened the sack of food for which I had just paid,

That I received the order that another person made!

Walking on the Waves 1

Matthew 14:22-24, "Immediately after this, Jesus made his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake while he sent the people home. Afterward he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves."

There are several important lessons we can learn form the time that Jesus and Peter walked on the water together.

The disciples entered the boat at Jesus' command. The fact that we are walking in obedience to God does not guarantee that we will be spared from adversity. Also, the fact that adversity comes to us does not necessarily mean we are out of God's will. Sometimes the greatest lessons we can learn in the Christian life are learned in our hardest times. Often our fellowship with God is the sweetest when we are struggling the most. But it's important for us to let our problems and trials press us closer to God rather than allowing them to come between God and us.

We don't know how long the disciples had struggled in the storm, but it could have been several hours. Jesus came to the disciples during the fourth watch of the night, which would been between three a.m. and six a.m. Many times we are allowed to struggle for awhile in our situations before God rescues us, because He is teaching us and testing us first. Sometimes it seems that God will be too late to save us, but He is always right on time for His purposes. He will never be late, but He does miss many opportunities to be early!

Even though God may not rescue us from our circumstances right away, He is always beside us in the storms of life. He knew exactly where His disciples were and what was happening to them, and He knows where we are and what is happening to us at all times. He has given us His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and we can count on that. He will make it possible for us to weather our storms according to His plans for us. Isaiah 43:2 tells us that God says, "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.'

Father, I thank You that You know all about my life at every moment, and You are working out Your plans for Me. Thank You that You never leave me, never forget me, and never forsake me. Amen.