Focus on Him, not the waves…

Life can be really tough right and what makes it worse is when we focus all our energy and attention on

the problems we are facing. We worry, stress out, fear, panic and fret as we dwell upon all the problems

we face but there is a better way.

I was stressing out this week. Things were not going well and I was panicking and anxious but I remembered

Peter.

In faith, Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water but as he was approaching the

Lord the word says he began to be aware of his surroundings (the enormous waves and the wind)

and became frightened and began to sink. (read Matthew 14:27-30) 

 

“Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, 

O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 

Matthew 14: 27-31

 

As long as Peter set his gaze upon the Lord he walked on water but when he took his eyes off the

Lord and focused on what was happening around him he began to sink and I know that’s what

was happening to me. But the Lord wants me to keep my eyes on Him in the midst of the trouble that

comes my way.

What are you focused on today?

Are you focused on your problems more than the Lord?

 

Consider  Psalm 91:14, 15:

“Because he has focused his love on Me, I will deliver him. I will protect him because he knows

my name. When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him in his distress. I will 

deliver him, and I will honor him.” 

 

The enemy would like us to get our minds off Christ. he doesn’t want us being victorious. he loves

it when we are in bondage, in fear, anxious and stressed.

But the Lord wants us to be free. He wants us to receive the answers and solutions we need to

the problems we are facing.

Let’s stop focusing on the waves. Let us focus on the Lord no matter how terrifying the storm is.

He is bigger than any storm we will ever face and that is why He wants us to focus on Him!

Bless you, friends…

 

Rolain

 

What’s the answer to the pressures we face??

“Martha had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to Him teach. 

Martha became angry because she had so much work to do. She went in and said, “Lord, don’t 

You care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”

Luke 10:39, 40

 

This story spoke to me today. I know I have made Martha’s mistake so many times. Instead

of sitting at Yeshua’s feet I have been hard at work doing, and doing and doing.

I would like to believe Mary was as hard working as Martha but when Yeshua came to their house

she knew what was more important.

 

“Martha became angry because she had so much work to do.”

 

I was challenged to spend more time at His feet when I read this. I tend to be really busy and not spend time

at His feet.

The fact of the matter is, we need to spend time at His feet as much as we can. We cannot go far if we

are busy all the time. I know this scripture is used a lot in the context of serving in the church but

it goes deeper than that. Sitting at His feet should be natural for us. Let’s look at how Yeshua responded

to Martha,

 

“But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. 

Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will never be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:41

 

Wow! What a statement!! There is peace, comfort, wisdom, love, joy, clarity and so much more at His feet.

I neglect all that when I am always busy, when I don’t make sitting at His feet a top priority like Mary did.

To deal with the pressures of life we need to stop and spend time with Him. Sitting at His feet is the

answer and it’s exactly what we need right now. You could be facing situations that are getting you

stressed and frazzled but the answer is taking the time to sit at His feet. Don’t ignore Him.

Make time for Him. He has all the answers you need!

Blessings to you friends…..

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

You give me peace……

Hi friends!

What a week its been! I came out of our annual church

conference! It was amazing!! It started on Wednesday and

finished yesterday. It has also been a busy week. It’s always

busy for everyone at this time. There is so much work to do.

So last week in my busyness I was asked a question that has

haunted me till now. This is what was asked,

 

“Why do you get stressed so easily?”

 

I was running around like a headless chicken prior to the

question being asked. After he left I couldn’t shake the

question. I tried to defend myself to myself and even

justify myself but he was right, I do get stressed easily.

Shucks!!

I want to be that person who stays calm when everything

is falling. I just want to be calm!

That got me thinking about peace……Can I be at peace when

everything is

going wrong? Can I be at peace when the mountains shake?

That is when God gave me a scripture that helped me that

I hope will help you!

 

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give you and

bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither

let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated

and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful

and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

John 14:27

 

I was thinking about the peace the world gives versus the peace

Jesus gives. The peace the world gives focuses on the external.

No war means peace, living in harmony, avoiding confrontation is

seen as keeping the peace.

Then there is meditation, clear your minds they tell us.

So as you can see, the world’s peace is very different.

The main thing to keep in mind about the peace the world

offers is that it doesn’t have Jesus as it’s source and a peace

without Jesus at it’s core is not peace at all!

Without Jesus you will never have peace!

 

The peace that Jesus offers is inward focused. When everything

is collapsing around us, the peace Jesus gives us keeps us steady.

When it looks like the enemy is going to win His peace gives us

hope that things will turn around.

The peace Jesus gives us is dependant on Him!

When we know He is in control, we have peace!

 

So I was challenged to stop stressing so much. The word is

very clear, we must not allow our hearts to be troubled,

we must stop allowing ourselves to be agitated and disturbed,

We must not permit ourselves to be fearful, intimidated

and cowardly in the face of danger, pressure, and so on…..

It’s a decsion to be at peace!

 

This is not just about me having peace at work but this post

is about having peace in hard times. It’s about having peace

when there is so much fear in the world. When my friend asked

me that question I realized later on that, God wants me to walk

in peace, period! Being agitated, stressed and anxious is not from

Him. As I end I would like to share one more story with you from

the word.

 

“And when Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord,

Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the Angel

of the Lord face to face!

The Lord said to him, peace be to you, do not fear;

you shall not die.

Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it,

The Lord is Peace.

To this day it still stands in Ophrah, which belongs to the

Abiezrites.

Judges 6:22-24

 

Gideon’s fear was real. He thought he would die because he

saw the face of God but God told him not to fear. I think

something more happened when those words were spoken.

I think Gideon saw or felt something, something that had

to be told to the generations to come! What ever he saw or felt

compelled him to build an altar and name it, The Lord is Peace

(Jehovah Shalom)!!!

I want to walk in that peace everyday, the peace Jesus gives!!

 

Whatever trouble you are going through remember,

to not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid,

stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed, and do

not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated, cowardly

and unsettled!

He is our Peace! Things may be falling apart around us but

we are at peace because He is with us holding us up!

Amen….

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why “perfect” doesn’t work with God……!

In the past two weeks I have been feeling inadequate, not enough, useless, for the purpose God has for me. A door of opportunity has opened up for me but instead of proudly walking through it I have had doubts and more doubts! I have second guessed my ability and come up with a conclusion:

I am not the right person for the job. I am unequipped and unqualified for this. 

But as I had that thought I was reminded of Jesus and the disciples! Jesus had chosen them, entrusted them with the job of spreading the good news after He was gone! They would be His hands and feet, they were to be His voice! They had some VERY big shoes to fill….

These are the men Jesus called:

– They couldn’t stay up and pray with Jesus in His most trying time!  Matthew 26:45

– They fled and abandoned Him when He needed them the most. Matthew 26:56

– Peter denied Him.  Matthew 26:74, 75

– They struggled to understand what Jesus was saying a lot of the time! Matthew 15:16

– They couldn’t cast out a demon because they lacked faith.                 Mark 9: 17, 18, 19

– They fought among themselves.   Luke 22:24

 

This is what Jesus had to work with. These men who had so many faults, these men who let Him down so much, these are the men who turned the world upside down for Jesus. They gave their all for Him! These were the men Jesus commissioned to spread the good news! Despite their flaws Jesus used them and He still does the same thing today!

God knows your faults, your weaknesses, your failings, but He has CHOSEN YOU!

Don’t think He has made a mistake because He hasn’t!

Whatever your weakenesses know that He wants to use you! Will you let Him use you??

Don’t believe the lie that God can’t use you because you are not perfect! We are far from perfect but God can still use us!

As you can see, my fears and anxieties were very irrational. After having those feelings I realised something, God wants me to trust Him every step of the way. He knew I wasn’t qualified but He wanted me to trust Him to guide me.

I have a sneaking feeling this won’t be the last time He calls me to something out of my depth! My purpose is way out of my depth not because He is mean but because He wants me to trust Him. If I can accomplish my purpose in my own strength how would God be glorified?

God’s calling is always bigger than you, it is always out of your depth! With all your faults and short comings He wants you to trust Him! He has an amazing plan for your life…..!

Rolain