Mar

12

Lord, Pass Me By?

By Julie B Cosgrove | 2 Comments


Mark 6:47-48  And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.  And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night (about 3 AM) he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, . . . 

Why would Jesus mean to pass by his disciples?  Wouldn’t He want them to see Him so they would know He hadn’t abandoned them in their time of need? Perhaps because He knew what their reaction would be – they would be afraid instead of trusting in Him. That is exactly how they reacted.

” . . but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,  for they all saw him and were terrified.” (vs 49)

It wasn’t “Thank you, Lord, for hearing our cries and coming to our rescue.”  The disciples were already in an anxious state trying to battle the sea and the waves that were defeating them. It was three in the morning. They were worn out, tired, probably cranky. In other words, they were not in the mindset to receive peace. 

Have you ever been in a stew like that? I have. It seems like a magnetic tornado of bad is swirling around me. Everything else that could go wrong seems attracted to me and sucked into the situation. The stress grows and grows. It is “Really? What could possibly happen next?”  In my struggle, I am relying on my own strengths, and not God’s. Frustration sets in.

Perhaps it is those times that God chooses to come to my rescue even if I don’t ask Him to do that.  He goes ahead while my head is bent to the pressures and calms the situation. He knows I just can’t ask Him to help me with whatever storm I am facing because of my mindset, but He also knows I can’t deal with it on my own (even though I, like the disciples, do not yet realize it).  Instead He handles it, then reveals He was right there all along.

But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded. (vs 50-51)

Would I, like the disciples, be afraid and astounded by His mighty power if He revealed it to me? No. not so much now, because He has come to my rescue, over and over again. But early on in my walk with Christ, probably. God knows our hearts and the amount of faith we can muster. He is always finding ways to increase that faith in Him. He meets us where we are. Often, it is only after the storm that I can see the part He played in calming it down, or calming me down. Then, and only then, can I look up and see His mighty Hand was in it after all. That’s when I stop and fall to my knees in relieved thanks and praise.  Several years back, there was a Christian song that spoke to that – “Sometimes He calms the storm - other times, He calms His child.”

Trust and letting go of control is a learning curve. Perhaps, someday, I’ll ace that test.

Mar

9

Dammed

By Julie B Cosgrove | Leave a Comment


He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.  And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?  . . .  And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.    Mark 6:1-2, 5-6a

Only one thing can block us from receiving God’s blessing and power in our lives – our own lack of faith.   

If there is any dam that blocks the flow of grace and mercy, we have built it ourselves like busy beavers. It is constructed out of twigs of doubt, held together with the sludge of our anxieties and negative thoughts.  All of the debris in our lives that we try to scoop up ourselves and turn into something useful and purposeful accumulate to plug up the flow between us and our Lord. We stop His love from gushing into our souls, and then wonder why it only trickles through and we are left parched.

In the Doxology we sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”  Until we realize the truth of that phrase and let it seep into us, that dam remains. We built it up ourselves, but Christ can send it crashing down with the force of His love – if we let Him break through.  The people of his hometown wouldn’t. So His power to influence their lives was thwarted. He only could heal a few of the sick – perhaps individuals who were desperate enough to believe.

Do we give him bits and pieces, like doling out candy to a small child? “Here Jesus- do this for me or heal this hurt. Then, if you do that, I might give you something else.”  Or do we give it all to Him, trusting He will handle it in perfect timing? Do we give him just a bit of the sludge clogging up our lives, or invite Him to knock the dam down and flood our lives with His abundant grace?

Do we dare do that? Could we handle that much God in our lives?

Feb

24

Serve It Up

By Julie B Cosgrove | Comments Off


And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.  And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.  Mark 1:29-31

Women are not supposed to get sick. We are the healers, the bad-aid appliers, the Doctor Moms.  We are the ones that in spite of  fever, sniffles or stomach viruses, still fix school lunches, find socks and clean up after the pet.  We do four loads of laundry, go to the store, balance the checkbook and make sure the bills are paid on time while we go through another box of Kleenex and down the cough syrup.  We never  get sick.

Jesus entered the house of his new followers. He had just the day before made them fishers of men. Today they had listened while he taught in the synagogue with unheard of authority, and even healed a member of the congregation in the process.  As was custom, they headed home for rest and food after worship, just as many families do today.  Lo and behold, the house was a wreck. Breakfast dishes yet to be done. Bed pallets unmade and not yet put away. Sweeping of the dirt floor not done. Dust on the furniture, the table cluttered with Simon’s fishing nets he had been trying to mend. No savory aromas of the noonday meal simmering on the stove. Pots and pans ice cold. Simon’s mother-in-law had fallen ill. 

How embarrassing. Bring this wonderful prophet and obviously important man of God to your house and it is in shambles. What must Jesus think? Can’t you see Simon’s chest fall and his face redden? And his poor mother-in-law. Bring home a guest unannounced and uninvited today of all days? She may have just thought she was sick before. Now she is sick at heart as well.

But here is how I picture what the story doesn’t tell us. Jesus wades through the clutter, ignores the cold pots on the yet to be lit stove, slides the nets out of the way, kneels down and touches the mother-in-law. Immediately, her fever leaves her and she rise to do what it her privilege and duty. She begins to serve her guests in the manner of their culture.  I imagine Jesus might have even called Simon outside for a bit to allow the woman to save face and to give her time to tidy up and get supper going.  “Simon, show me your boat again. I’ m not quite hungry yet, are you? Maybe in an hour or so. . .” He lays his hand across Simon’s shoulder and ushers him back out the door, turns His head and winks at the mother-in-law.

If this happened today, perhaps Jesus would be the one cooking and cleaning even after the fever left her. He might have even goaded the guys to pitch in and lend a hand. But our culture is different.  I surmise in first century Galilee that would have not been the right thing to do. That would have hurt and embarrassed the woman even more.

The point is this. When our lives are a mess and we feel sick- either physically or sick at heart, it is alright to invite Jesus in. Our lives do not have to be in perfect order and pristine to receive Christ. He knows the situation, there is no need to shove it under the rugs. Allow Him to heal you so you can get back up and serve Him. He is there to encourage, lift you up and get you back on your feet doing what it is that you are supposed to be doing for Him and everyone else. The next time the clutter closes in on you and you feel overwhelmed or just do not have the strength to deal with it all, invite Jesus in.

Feb

9

Should We Tell Them?

By Julie B Cosgrove | 1 Comment


We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,and the wonders that he has done.  .   .  so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments .     Psalm 78:4, 7

Kids have selective deafness. They can ignore the loud voice telling them to go clean their room yet quite easily concentrate on the whisper of a friend. In a way, I guess we all do. We filter out what we do not want to hear. At times, we even filter out God.

I used to think I had to come across as the perfect Christian in order to convince my son that Jesus was Lord. If I appeared to have it all together and quote memorized Scripture for every circumstance, I’d be doing what David says we should do in this Psalm. I’d be fulfilling my motherly duty to pass the Word onto the next generation.  It didn’t work. Instead, my son withdrew from “organized religion” because he thought it was false and two-faced. 

Then, I began to tell him instead what God was doing in my life, what trials and doubts I had and how He came through for me. Maybe now my grown son sees a more realistic view of my walk with Christ by my side and the Holy Spirit in me – flawed,  sometimes stumbling, but always determined to move on and confident that He will help me back on my feet. My son also knows I pray for him and has told me he has felt those prayers. Perhaps, one day, he will let God help him back on his feet, but more importantly, back into the depth of his heart. That is between him and God. My job is to keep on walking with my Lord as long as I am on this planet, and be a realistic witness to the fact that human life is better with Jesus in it, no matter what happens along the way.

Show, then tell the next generation. Teach them Scripture, yes, but show them how it applies to your life.  Share your realness and let them watch His glorious deeds in action  working out through you, struggle after struggle and joy after joy. Then, perhaps, they will see they can let God into their not so perfect lives to do the same – and set their hopes on God.

Feb

5

Closer Than a Friend

By Jan Ross | Comments Off


Friendship is a gift of God, it is precious, it is priceless, and it is to be cherished. A friend is one with whom you are intimately acquainted, one with whom you can associate at any time or under any circumstances, one with whom you trust your confidences. A friend will love you when you’re unlovable, lift you up when you are down, encourage you, laugh with you, cry with you, and even challenge you to rise above life’s circumstances.

According to Proverbs 17:17, a brother is even closer than a friend.

“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

As a member of the Family of God, we have a Friend and a Brother; He was not only born for adversity, He was born in adversity.  He’s our precious companion, our intimate acquaintance, our cherished associate, and our trustworthy confidant. He even loves us when we’re unlovable.  He’s our Brother; we’re joint heirs with Him.  The closer we draw to Him the stronger the family resemblance and the more we look like Him, act like Him, and talk like Him—His image can be seen in every aspect of our lives! Because of His sacrificial love toward us, we share a kinship which denotes a blood relationship and a family resemblance.

We have a Friend and Brother in Jesus Christ today. He is truly precious, priceless and to be cherished. Take time to thank Him and acknowledge Him for all that He is to you in every way, not just today but every day.  And, remember…He’s there at any time, under any circumstances, ready to lift you up, encourage you, laugh with you, cry with you, and challenge you to rise above life’s circumstances.  He’s closer than a friend…He’s a brother!

“What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!”

Father, I thank you for the friend I have found in Jesus, my Brother, my Lord. I thank You that I’m accepted in Your family and made joint heir with my Brother. What more could I ever want or need? My Savior, Redeemer, Confidante, and Friend, truly precious, priceless and cherished, a Brother through the good times and the bad, at all times and forevermore. What a privilege to be in relationship with You! Amen.

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

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