We Are Lifted With WIngs Like Eagles

Reading from Isaiah 40:28-31 KJV - We shall not fall down. The Lord will lift us up as though we had the wings of an eagle.

Peace Be Still

Strength For The Weary

The weary shall mount up wings of an eagle

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

                                                                                  (Isa 40:28-31 KJV)

I have been a bit weary lately. It seems it gets more and more difficult each day to get anything accomplished. We are in the process of selling our home in Michigan. We have been waiting to close on the sale for months. I have paperwork laying all over my office. Every time I think we're close to closing, I'm ruffling through all of the stacks of paper once again. The title company seems to be having problems figuring out things. Today is exactly four months after we accepted the offer. So... I am feeling very weary. I have to keep reminding myself that God will take care of things according to his will and in his time so I am editing and reposting this story I wrote a year ago to remind myself and you to trust the Lord to give us strength in all things.

I was on a sabbatical kayaking on the southern shore of Lake Superior many years ago. The stretch I was traveling that day was very remote. There was no cell service. There were no roads. There were no homes along this stretch of shoreline. There were only woods. There was also a storm that came up once I was on the water. The rain was light; but, there was a lot of wind and some really rough wave action. It was not the first time that I had paddled during small craft warnings. If it had not been for my husband waiting at a park with lunch for me at the end of this stretch I would have pulled up on shore and set up my tent until the weather calmed down. But, he was expecting me and I knew that if I was way too late he would have the Coast Guard out looking for me. Although, weary from battling the wind and waves I was determined to keep going. 

I was finally quite exhausted. The wind and the rain had gotten worse so I decided to go on shore and eat a little bit of lunch hoping that the storm would die down a bit. The landing was a little rough; but, not too bad. I ate lunch taking cover under a tree from at least some of the rain. The prospect of launching was a little daunting as the water grew fiercer. I love Lake Superior; but, she is something to be very wary of so I laid down and fell asleep  waiting for her to calm down. When I opened my eyes I beheld a bald eagle on a limb above me; looking down; watching me. I could see his eyes plainly. I could see every wet feather on his head. I remembered this verse from Isaiah: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." 

My strength was renewed. I got up and back out on the water with the assurance that God was with me. The launch was much rougher than the landing. I struggled against the waves as I launched and paddled far enough from the shoreline to where it was not quite so rough. It took over six hours for me to make the about three hour journey to where my husband was waiting for me. And... yes, he had grown very worried. But, thankfully he had not called the Coast Guard, yet! 

There are many days that we grow weary. Sometimes the storms of life wear us out. Sometimes even the lack of storms can actually make us weary of life; weary of the same old things. But, no matter what causes us to grow weary and to lose our strength or our courage to move forward, we can know that God is with us. We can be confident that He will give us power and strength. He gives us the courage to rise up with wings like eagles and keep going no matter what challenges the days will bring us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Praise God For He Reigns!

Psalm 66 KJV

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:

Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.

Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.

Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

+++

There is nothing that God cannot do. He has saved his people. He will save his children. He rules over the water; fire; the nations; even our enemies. He rules over all things. Whatever storms might befall us he will bring us through.

Trust in the Lord and rejoice for he reigns over all things and his intent is good for all of his children. Sometimes we just have to wait a bit for him to still the storms or to part the seas for us.

Rejoice! Make a joyful sound praising his holy name for the Lord reigns!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Trouble Will Come

And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

                                                                         (Mark 13:5-8 KJV)

Jesus warned the disciples that troubles would be coming but that they should not be troubled about it. They were warned to pay attention so that no one is deceived by the many false saviors that would come. We also need to pay attention to his warning and do some discerning before we go off following a false savior whether human or otherwise.

Trouble has been upon the earth since Adam and Eve decided that they were going to do their own thing in spite of what God had told them they ought not to do. Trouble has always been here and yes it could get worse. In fact Jesus says it will. He says these things are only the beginning of sorrows.

False saviors come and go. They are in Hollywood at least it appears that some of these stars and followers think they are saviors. False saviors abound in Washington D.C.. and in pretty much most political office. False saviors abound even in the church. These false saviors often cause more harm than good as they are looking out for their own best interests and not the interests of the people. Jesus is the only savior who was putting the lives of all the people before his own. An indigent preacher and teacher; he went out and healed the sick. He gave his life on the cross so that through his sacrifice all people could be made whole in the Kingdom of God. He gave his life that we could be saved from our own corruption.

Lots of false prophets, teachers, and preachers in the world and always have been. Do they bring us hope? Or, do they bring us gloom and doom? All prophets will warn about disasters coming. But, a prophet of God will also provide hope and that hope is not found in ourselves. It is not found in the world around us. It is found by faith in Christ alone.

Troubles will come; but, thanks be to God through Jesus the Christ the Kingdom of God is at hand and in it you can know peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Storms Come

With Jesus There Will Be Storms

And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

                                                                               (Mark 4:35-41 KJV)

When Jesus got into the boat a tremendous storm arose. Expect it! Expect storms if you are a follower of Jesus. His journey on this earth was not an easy one nor should we expect ours to be. There were many in cahoots to destroy him. He was persecuted and put to death in spite of being totally innocent.

Jesus told his followers and he tells us:  "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (John 15:18-20)

Do not be surprised if the world is against you for your faith in Christ. Do not be surprised when other berate you for your faith in Christ for when we step into that boat as a follower of Jesus we are promised that storms will arise.

But, the good news is that even when those storms arise and they will, the Christ is with you. He can calm the storm. He will save you. He will bless you with peace. Have faith. Trust him!

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Peace As A River

Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
                                                                                   (Isaiah 48:17-18 NIV)

Indeed! The Lord knows what is best for us. But, we often think we know better than God. We often choose the wrong paths and find ourselves in chaotic messes trying to figure out what went wrong and how in the world we're going to find some semblance of peace. What went wrong sometimes just happens to be is that we rejected the Word of the Lord. We have rejected those things that our Father in heaven has sought to teach us. We have rejected the good gifts that He desires us to have and have chosen to follow in the ways of the world. Ultimately, we find ourselves wallowing in the depths of despair.

No matter what kind of mess we may find yourselves in we can know peace. It is the peace that only God can give to us. In the midst of the storms, we can know peace that flows forever like a river. We can know peace as refreshing as the cool waters of a gently flowing river.

Do not fear! Do not despair! God is with you. Listen to Him and know the peace that only He can give. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Trust Jesus To Calm The Storms

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

                                          (Mark 4:37-41 KJV)

It has felt, to many, that we have been in the midst of a storm since before 2020 even began. There is only one answer to this storm and that is faith in Christ. We must trust that he will calm this storm. We will get through all of this and the sun will be shining brightly. Children will once again be playing arm in arm for God does not will that we should be so disconnected from one another. His plan included unity and reconciliation; not division and anarchy. His will is not for his children to live their lives so centered on themselves that they have no concern for the people around them or the people that are spread throughout the world.  

Jesus told his disciples and us: "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  (John 15:12-13)

The self-centeredness; the self-love, of humankind has brought about many storms. But, the one who can calm the great storms of winds and waves can also bring a calm to the world. Is it not time yet to trust him enough to love and care for our neighbors and live in peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

The Storm: 2020

But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him. (Luke 8:23-25 KJV)

I woke up to lightning and thunder; pouring down rain. Quickly, I ran out in the thick of it to pull my kayak up off of the shore and turn her over so she would not fill up nor float away.

Storms come and they are a wonder to behold. There is nothing man can do about them. We cannot stop them. We cannot stop the rain. At least not the rain that pours down from the sky. The rain brings growth just as the sunshine is needed for growth. But, storms can also bring about much devastation especially if we are not prepared for them.

The world has found itself in a very stormy place this year. The Corona Virus and riots have shut down businesses. Many have lost their livelihoods. Many have lost theirs lives. The virus has shut down schools. It has quarantined elderly and many others so that they cannot live with close connections to others. Can you imagine living your last days, months, and maybe even years without the companionship of those you love. It has also in many ways hampered the ability to share the Good News of God's love for all people. 

This year has brought with it many storms. It has brought devastation. But, we continue with hope and with faith because we know that storms will also bring growth. We do not know what the growth will look like. We just know that Jesus is with us in this storm. He's in the boat with us. In that knowledge alone, we can find calm within ourselves even if the world insists on feeding the storm.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Answers In His Time

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

                                                                                    (2 Peter 3:8-9 KJV)

Do not doubt that God hears and answers our prayers. He does hear them and he does answer them. They may not be answered in the way that we desire. The answer may sometimes be "no" especially if they are not in accordance with His will. His answer may also not come in the time that you desire it to come. 

 

We might like things done now and the way that we want them done. We judge time by the few years we have on this earth. God has eternity to work with!

When storms arise in your life; do not fear. Do not fret. Be at peace in the assurance that God does hear and He does answer your prayers according to His good will for all of His children. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

A Good Plan

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jer 29:11 KJV)

Life can be pretty rough. We all go through hard times. But, for some people it seems as though the rough times never end and nothing good will ever come to them. But, the Lord has better plans for you than you can even begin to imagine. It begins with His love for you. It continues with your faith that His promises are true.

Trust Him. Listen to Him. Follow in the way that He has shown you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Let Him In!

Open the door and let him in.

And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, 

And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

                                      (John 6:16-21 KJV)

Who wouldn't be a bit afraid if you were out in the storm and someone came walking on the water toward you? The disciples were just that. They were frightened. But, Jesus speaks to them, "It is I; be not afraid." They recognize his voice and they let him in the boat.

Jesus is anxious to get in the boat with you. He is knocking at the door. He is already with you and for you. But, he will not force himself on you. It is not enough to know about Jesus. Let him into your small boat so you have a chance to really get to know him. 

There are many who profess to be Christians; however, they have no real clue who this Jesus of ours is. They may have heard of him; they may know about him; but, they wouldn't recognize his voice if he spoke to them because they don't know him. There is a difference between knowing who Jesus is and knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is about having a relationship with him. His sheep will hear his voice and answer. His friends will hear his voice and answer. 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Rev 3:20)

Answer the door and let him in so that you might have a relationship with the living God; the Almighty God, our LORD and Savior. Do not be afraid. He is there for you in the storms that you encounter. Let him into your boat, open the door, and let him in. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Storms Will Come; Prepare

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matt 7:24-27 KJV)

Open your eyes and see. See what you have built your house upon. Is your spiritual house built upon the rock who is Jesus the Christ? Or is it built upon the sand that will eventually crumble and leave you without shelter or comfort? What condition is your house in? Do you say you believe; but, do you do nothing that keeps that house intact? Are you straying from that solid foundation, which is the word of God? 

Open your eyes and see. See where you have put your treasures. You may have acquired lots of "stuff." But, what condition is it in? Have you taken the time to maintain it? Or, are you sitting back and watching it fall apart because you are  too busy doing other things that are more pleasurable at the moment? What good is it to work to have lots of "stuff" if we are only going to let it rot away or get blown away in a storm. 

Open your eyes and see. Look around you and see where your responsibilities lie. When storms come; whether they are physical or spiritual, you cannot blame God for the storms because you have not taken the time to prepare for the storms. He has given us eyes to see what needs done. He has given us minds to know how to prepare. He has given us hands to do the work. If we want to hang on to the things that God has given us, we need to own the responsibility to take care of them.

Storms will come. They are inevitable. Prepare wisely. Open your eyes and see what needs shoring up before chaos comes. 

God grant us open eyes to see and the desire and energy to care for all that He has given us. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

God's Peace

This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
    who teaches you what is best for you,
    who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
    your peace would have been like a river,
    your well-being like the waves of the sea.

                                    (Isaiah 48:17-18 NIV)

Indeed! The Lord does know what is best for us. But, we often think we know better than God. We often choose the wrong paths and find ourselves in chaotic messes trying to figure out what went wrong and how in the world we're going to find some semblance of peace. What went wrong sometimes happens to be is that we rejected the Word of the Lord; we have rejected those things that our Father in heaven has sought to teach us. We have rejected the good gifts that He desires us to have and have chosen to follow in the ways of the world and we ultimately find ourselves wallowing in the depths of despair.

The world is a mess. We've helped to make it that way. But, no matter what kind of mess you find yourself in, you can know peace. It is the peace that only God can give to us. In the midst of the storms, we can know peace that flows forever like a river. We can know peace as refreshing as the cool waters of a gently flowing river.

Do not fear! Do not despair! God is with you. Listen to Him and know the peace that only He can give. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Storms

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
                                       Luke 8:22-25 NRSV

In the midst of a storm, Jesus calms the disciples and he calms the seas. He commands the winds and the waters. They listen to him. 

Whenever I read this story, I am reminded that the storm did not begin until after they got into the boat with Jesus. Following Jesus is no guarantee that there will not be any storms in your life. In fact, it might guarantee even a few more. 

If you truly follow Jesus you will face obstacles and opposition of all kinds. Jesus never promised that we would not have troubling or stormy times. Only that with him, we would weather them. We would live. We can live in peace knowing that the one who has power over all things is with us always.

There is no need to fear the storms. The one who commands the winds and the waves is with you and for you. Sometimes; though, you will need to experience a few storms on the sea before you can reach the other side.

God's Peace - Pr. J

A Refuge From The Storm

For God alone my soul waits in silence,

   for my hope is from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

   my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my deliverance and my honor;

   my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
   pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.  Selah

                       Psalm 62:5-8 NRSV

Storms in the south; storms in the north, in the east, and in the west! The storms this past week or so and the storms that are impending have surely shaken many people. They have destroyed much property. They have brought fear into the hearts of many. We have yet to see if the storm in the south has taken any lives. We will see what is left; who is left, when the waters recede.

There is nothing that we can do when a storm approaches; but, to do whatever  we can to attempt to protect lives. Stationary property is at the mercy of the wind and the water. There is nothing we can do about that. One day it is ours. The next day it is gone. Even though this Psalm of David confesses that neither he nor we should be shaken; I cannot say that I am not shaken at the losses. 

I am shaken at the loss at the loss of life and property. But, I am confident that my soul is safe. I am confident that all who believe that Jesus died that we might live will indeed live in the presence of God for all eternity. In that I am not shaken. 

Sadly, we will suffer many losses in our lives here on earth. But, not one who believes will suffer from the loss of their life in the Kingdom of God. We remain confident that God is our deliverer. He is our fortress and refuge. In Him we shall trust for our deliverance; for our salvation; for our eternal life in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Suffering a Good Thing?

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

                                                                                (Rom 5:3-4 NIV)

It would be good if we could all be like Paul and glory in our sufferings; but, most of us cannot. Most of us feel defensive when we suffer and sometimes we get offensive. We feel sorry for ourselves. Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Most of us do not care to suffer for any reason.

It is only by reminding ourselves that God is with us and He has a good plan that we can relax a bit. It is often, after the fact, that we can look back and thank God for the trouble and suffering endured. It may be years later before we can see how the suffering was either for our good or for the good of others. It is often, only then, that we can thank God for those troubling things that we have endured.

May God help us to always acknowledge that whatever happens God is with us and He has a good plan. (Rom 8:28)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Do Not Fear The Storms

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
                                        Matt 8:23-26 NIV

Those of you who know me; know that I love the water and I love being on it. Bodies of water are reminders to me of my baptism into the family of God. They are also a reminder that God is with me through the strongest of storms. Following Jesus is not a walk in the park or the garden. Following Jesus will take us to places that we would rightfully fear to go if he was not leading.

When the disciples followed Jesus into the boat a storm arose. Jesus took a nap. Yet, there was no need to fear because he was with them. When we choose to follow Jesus we can be sure that we will encounter rough waters. You will encounter many storms that threaten to sink and drown you. Do not fear! God in Christ Jesus is with you. He is ruler even over the roughest storms.

Do not fear; but, sail in faith wherever God in Christ Jesus will lead you.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Our Refuge And Strength

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
  will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

  my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you

  from the fowler’s snare

  and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,

  and under his wings you will find refuge;

  his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,

  nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

  nor the plague that destroys at midday.
                                                   (Psalm 91:1-6 NIV)

Yes!  God is our refuge and our fortress.  We can find refuge and rest, under His wings, no matter what kind of storms ravage around us. We can trust in Him to be there for us.

The enemy may attack, but there is no reason to fear. There is no reason to be so paranoid that one would should themselves up so that the world cannot reach them. When one spends their whole lives protecting themselves and boarding themselves up behind closed doors; the world may or may not be able to reach them; but, neither can they reach out to the world; with the love of God. The world will not become a safer place without the help or the love of God. Do not fear. Step out and be who God intends and calls you to be. Do not fear for He is with you.

What comfort it is to know that all who call on His name are afforded the love and protection of the Most High, our Almighty God, the most magnificent that ever was, is, and ever shall be.  We are His!  Thanks be to God!

God's Peace - Pr. J