Tag Archives: Pacific Ocean

Crashing Seas

Posted on by
2

Mark 4:35-41 NLT

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

Jesus, Jesus, don’t you care?
Asleep in back so unaware.
In fear and darkness were going down!
Wake up, wake up we’re ‘bout to drown.

“Silence be still,” You did respond.
The churning sea became a pond.
My faith did grow in that hour,
To humbly attest Your almighty power.

So don’t be fooled by life’s roiling sea
He who conquered death has authority
Over fears that crash across your bow.
Faith in Him, He will endow…

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  James 1:2-3 NIV

Dancing Before the Lord

Posted on by
2
Declaring the glory of God

Clouds blossoming in the blue sky.
Do they portend rain?
Or are they just dancing before the sun?
I don’t know, but it is joy to watch.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.” Psalm 19:1-4

Light for the Coming Darkness

Posted on by
2

sunset 10-11-06 006-Edit

Light on a hill

Where there looms fear,
There is need for drawing close to God.
Where there is no fear,
We invest little in prayer.

Where there is grief,
There is need for hope.
Where there is no sorrow,
We grip tightly to the present instead of Jesus.

Where there is doubt.
There is a need for faith
Where doubt does not exist,
There is little need to exercise faith.

Where there is love and forgiveness,
There is passionate devotion.
Where there is no love there is indifference,
and indifference makes the heart grow hard.

Where there is horrid ugliness
There is a longing for innocence.
Where people accept the grotesque,
There is no desire for salvation.

All the doubt, the fear, the sorrow, the ugliness does not show the absence of God, but quite to the contrary … Shows our need for Him.

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world. – Jesus John 16:33

From the Depths

Posted on by
Reply

SHg3_190418-8222-2-Edit

His Deep calling to my deep

Grief is a deep dark pit, where no sunlight can reach. When you are there no good thing seems possible, and death is all you hear.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me. Psalm 42:5-7

It is in my grief that God’s Deepness calls to my deep pit. God’s waves and breakers crash upon me—letting me know He is with me, His goodness will prevail, and His love will hold onto me through eternity.

When God’s waves break over me I begin to hear His voice over the din of my sorrow.

I will never leave you.
Roars from the crashing water.
My love endures forever.
Smashes upon my darkness
I will carry you and dry your tears.
Splits the rocks that tower over me.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:11

Memories of Tomorrow

Posted on by
1

SH_180515-Hawaii-2614

Foretaste of glory

Yesterday we had so much fun,
the joy that children bring.
To have the laughter never end,
In songs we love to sing.

Visit cut short, I wanted longer.
So many seeds to sow
Time consumes the love we shared,
Forgotten as they grow.

In that day when life moves on,
I hope not in fading sorrow.
But in the love of Jesus Christ
Who makes yesterday a foretaste of tomorrow.

In Jesus we have a sure hope that our tomorrows will be even better than our yesterdays.

We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone. Psalm 33:20-22

Light for Life

Posted on by
Reply

sunset 10-11-06 006 copy

Lighthouse lighting the way

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

What is the abundant life that Jesus talks about in this verse? It is forgiveness for our past shame, guidance into good for our present, and hope for our future.

Jesus the light of life.

The Shining Face of God

Posted on by
2
His eye is on the birds of the air…and I know He’s watching me.

Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Psalm 31:16

Crashing Waves

Posted on by
1

SH_180331-Monterey-3590

Will you crash against the Rock or hide in its cleft?

Pride is about who you are and what you can do. Humility is about who God is and what He has done in Jesus.

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 9:33

Standing Firm

Posted on by
3

SH_180331-Monterey-3389

Pounding Surf

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – Jesus, John 13:34-35 NIV

At the end of time how we have loved is what will count, what will remain.

And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. -Jesus, Matthew 24:10-13 NLT

Don’t let your love grow cold. Let the Word of God help you endure against the waves of hate.

Joy to the Full

Posted on by
2

SHg3_180515-Hawaii-4643

Hawaiian sunrise

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  John 15:11

Every once in a while I am struck with the joy of life. It is not because of the freshness of the mountain air or the brilliant morning sunrise. It is that these joyous moments are but a foretaste of eternal life in Jesus. When I sit down and contemplate why I have such joy, it always comes back to His love for me. The verses just before John 15:11 confirms it:

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. John 15:9-10

“As the Father has loved Me,” Jesus says, “so I have loved you.” There it is––Jesus loves me deeply.

Part of that love for me is to tell me how I should be. Jesus uses the word command because what He says next about staying in His love is absolutely essential. It is the difference between looking through the window at the Christmas celebration, or going in to sit down to fully partake in it. Jesus is telling us that to have complete joy you have to join in His love:

Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

I urge you to let the Holy Spirit pour His love through every part of your existence and join the celebration of joy to the full.