Living The Impossible

Today I was thinking about the story in the Bible of Jesus asking Peter to walk on the water. Remember this? Peter and the disciples were in a boat on the sea, when they spotted Jesus a ways off, standing on top of the water. Peter, being the personality he was, got excited and asked Jesus if he could go to Him. Jesus told him to come. As Peter stepped out of the boat and placed his foot on the water, he realized his foot didn't sink. So, he put his other foot on the water, let go of the boat, and proceeded to Jesus. After a little bit, he looked around and down, realizing he was doing the impossible, and started to sink. As he cried out to Jesus for help, Jesus reached down and pulled him up, asking him why he doubted. Quite a story, isn't it?

 

Sometimes God asks us to do the impossible too. Sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances that defy the odds, that no one else has ever done. Maybe He has called you to do something that you don't feel equipped to do. Perhaps, your family, friends, etc. have already sized you up and told you that you wouldn't be good at something. Remember when Jesus first started out in His ministry, that his brothers didn't even believe in Him. But He did what His Father told Him to do anyway.

 

I hear of so many people who were told "No" to a dream they had. Not once, not twice, but more... way more. No one believed in them, but they felt a passion and true conviction that what they believed in was important and the right thing to do.

God is a god of impossibles, and He can very well call you to do what seems the impossible. Why? Because, knowing that what we accomplish wouldn't be possible without God's intervention and help, it gives Him glory. We are limited in what we can do, but God can do anything. He is our strength in the midst of weakness.

Remember that it was only when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and placed them on his surroundings and circumstances, that he began to sink. Likewise, when we try to over analyze our abilities, perhaps giving ourselves too much credit, resulting from pride, that we too can fall. If you are feeling that God has called you to do the impossible, keep your focus on Him. Remember, He can make the impossibles possible!
 

Listening For That Quiet Voice

Have you ever gone through a hearing test where they place earphones over your ears, and when they send a beep in different frequencies and volume, you are to raise your hand to acknowledge you heard it? And then, sometimes, you think you are still hearing it as it kind of echoes afterwards, so you raise your hand again!

 

Or you may have played a game where you were blindfolded, and had to go through an obstacle course, while listening to someone telling you to turn left or right, or to stop. You were completely dependent on this person's directions, to keep you from bumping into something.

 

Our lives are similar to this. In my morning's devotional, was this verse from Psalm 25:14-15:

 

The LORD confides in those who fear Him;

He makes His covenant known to Him.

My eyes are ever on the LORD,

for only He will release my feet from the snare.

 

Our life journey brings unexpected experiences and none of us know what our tomorrows will bring. We only have today. Today to make decisions and plans. Today to dream about tomorrow. Today to decide your strategy for tomorrow's goals. So, how can we best plan for our tomorrows so we can have success?

 

If we have received Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior, then we believe that what the Bible tells us is true (2 Timothy 3:16). That God made us in His image (Genesis 1:27). That He loves us (John 3:16). And that He has great plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11). God knows us inside and out (Psalm 139), and even better than we know ourselves! He wants us to obey Him and not to wander off His designated path for us (Joshua 1:7)

 

How do we know we are hearing His voice, and not our own, or the world's? If we spend a significant amount of time with Him in prayer, meditation and studying His Word, then we become very familiar with who God is, and what He expects from us. Jesus is our Gentle Shepherd, and we are His sheep who recognize His voice (John 10:3). The Holy Spirit inside of us brings us His wisdom in discerning what we are hearing (John 16). Staying focused on Him is necessary to living a life that honors Him and blesses us. So many people make countless mistakes in their lives and experience troubles that could have been avoided if only they had heeded God's Word.

 

Fortunately for those wandering sheep, Jesus goes after each one, to bring them back. I can imagine how a lost one must feel when he had been listening to the wrong voice, and as a result, experiences troubles. Then, he finally hears God's voice and is brought back through repentance, into the Kingdom. God's grace is sufficient, isn't it? (2 Corinthians 12:9)

 

Let us all seek to hear the voice of our LORD. Let us never take it for granted, but to yearn for it. There is a tremendous amount of noise in our world, but staying focused on Him will keep ourselves from falling in the snares of the enemy.

 

Are you hearing that quiet voice?



A Diamond In Progress

Who doesn't admire a beautiful, sparkling diamond? All the facets reveal brilliant flashes of light, especially under the overhead lighting in a jewelry store. But these gorgeous gems didn't start out that way. When they were harvested in a diamond mine, they looked like ordinary rocks and stones, with perhaps some shimmer. It took the expertise of a professional to chip away and carve each piece into the precious stone it was meant to be. A diamond is the hardest of gems, so it wasn't an easy task. When one purchases an expensive diamond, he is making an investment into a work of art that will last. It has much value. And will hold its value for generations to come.

 

I came across this verse tonight and found that we are like diamonds in progress. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says:

 

Therefore, do not lose heart... we are being renewed day by day.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us

an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

 

When I read this, I was reminded of how we look at our own outer appearance. We compare ourselves with others, and see our own imperfections. Some of us feel we aren't measuring up to the expectations we place ourselves on, leading to a feeling of insignificance. But God looks at our heart. And He sees our real value. He sees our potential. He has made us in His own image, and with His expertise in carving away all the unnecessary things we hold on to, He is able to reveal in us what He had intended all along. Sometimes it hurts when He is in the process of making us into His gem. But if we truly trust Him to do His perfect work in us, we can be assured that even in the midst of our trials and tribulations, there is a purpose. In His eyes, He sees us as a beautiful, valuable gem, ready to shine brightly in the realms of His heavenly kingdom.  

 

Remember: you are a diamond in progress!