Seeing is not believing

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" John 11:40 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." John 20:27 ***Greetings to all reading from the Commenthon! Welcome to my transparent world! Feel free to read others and if so moved subscribe to hear more transparent thoughts! My writings are not every day or even every week but they are from the heart and as He leads so I pray they will help someone else as well!*** ...::::::UPDATE::::... ****We have not only remained in the house but our rent is paid and cut almost in half!! Praising the Father before the storm was over was key!! I would have never made in my small boat of faith without Him!!***** This old antage of "seeing is believing" is quite the mistake! I have "seen" a lot of things unfold and yet still take a turn and something totally different come out of it. Take for example the caterpillar. It starts out grubby, some smaller than others, some hairier or fuzzier. But nevertheless, you never imagine that a caterpillar can fit into the tiny cocoons they do, not to ignore if you figure that the beautifully and enormously winged butterflies would come out of that very same cocoon! But they do! And what about ants? Somebody please tell me you imagined they could pick up a carcass by themselves triple their size and even when you saw it you were not amazed! Of course you can't say that! Because you were! Seeing is not believing! Today has been a rough day for me. I tossed and fought back doubt with everything I had and yet the prayers that were lifted for my family and by my family still seemed to fall on deaf ears. It seems that our prayers are for naught. But are they? I realized I'm still focusing on seeing the miracle more than believing in GOD for it! The first Scripture struck me hard. To be Martha at that very moment.... How bloodshot and flushed her face must have been! Jesus had just told her that she would see God's glory yet when He went about performing the miracle, she doubted. Notably so, as her brother's body would have smelled but she missed what was said to her in her grief. "But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'" John 11:4. Did you catch it? I didn't until a few moments ago. I've read it before and because the real focus in this chapter is the raising of Lazurus, I've never caught this morsel before! It does remind me of the peace the Disciples were given right before they were caught in an angry storming sea. Remember that? Of course, everyone does. But who remembers what Jesus said before the storm?  "Let us go across to the other side." (v 35). Again, did you catch that?? He was letting them know whatever they were about to go through, they would get through it TO THE OTHER SIDE!!! That just sent chills down my spine typing it!!  I don't know what you are going through, where your faith is or how it's gonna turn out for you, but I can tell you about me. I can tell you that my faith is at an all time low right now. I needed $744 today for rent to stop a previous eviction and it didn't come, at least not to my knowledge. I got a call from my landlord's office saying I could come in first thing in the morning to pay. That's grace and I'm thankful for it. I don't know what that means or how the money will come but He has already told me through Jeremiah 42:10-16 that I would remain. It's shaky right now, I'm angry and really don't wanna hear to many more "I'm praying for you's" but I'm so thankful for those He has sent my way! I am going to the other side and I only have to hold on until we get there, stormy waters or not. And the same is said of you. Hold on to His Word. If He could sleep peacefully with all that was going on then, then so can I. And if our GOD, Who said He will supply our EVERY need, told us to go to the other side, then we will make it there. GOD, you know our restless hearts. You know our situations. You know that doubt and unbelief are pining for our attention. Thank You for being our Rock, thank You for being that example we need when the waters turn against us. LORD, tonight as we sleep as peaceful as You did under the ship, instead of calming the sea, would you do a miracle for us. Many of us need healing or financial blessings or just... peace. Thank You for being that Provider that never fails. In Jesus name. Amen! Tonight, meditate on  and pray Psalm 5 for our situations. You pray for mine and I will pray for yours. You can leave me a message and know that I will lift you up. Oh, and the second verse? That was simply the way GOD chose to tell me, and you, to stop doubting. Blessings, and good rest tonight.

Transparent Reach

Transparent Reach

He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Matthew 14:29, 30 ESV

Jesus was walking on water. Why was that do hard to believe for those who had seen Him perform other miracles? He sent them in ahead of them so why did they forget that He was coming once they were further out? Why do our minds work in the natural only? If we for see it or ourselves, we don't tend to believe it. Or is that just the way my mind works? Even Peter AFTER Jesus said "It is I. Do not fear," he still needed proof. It's as if he was saying, "You say it's you but I don't believe you unless I have proof." How many do that (raising hand). And then once Jesus graciously told him to come out, instead of knowing that Jesus, the one who had told him to step out, the one who would never let anything happen to us, would never let him sink more than necessary. But we do that. We worry when we see or hear the winds and storms in our life.

What I notice, what God has showed me is that I cry out to those in the boat because I can SEE the boat and people in it. Because Peter could see Jesus, he called out to Him even though he only had to focus on Him to stay above water. Did you catch that? If only we would focus on Christ, we will stay above water. But of course, we don't and so because of His grace, He knows that and extends His hand to us. But what I realized today is that not only do I cry out I those in the boat but I do it knowing full well that Jesus is right there for me, knowing full well He has me. I also realized that when I start to sink, He's closer than I usually think.

How about you? Do you aim for the boat faster than you do for Jesus when you cry out in a storm? Do you reach for the phone and call or text someone because it seems like they are closer than Jesus is? Do you only seem to wait until you start sinking to call in Him? Or perhaps you still call in those that are visible to the fleshy eye. This week I challenge you to try Him and see if indeed He is closer.

The verse that was just given to me as I wrote that part was "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother," Proverbs 18:24. I have a brother and when we were young we had no choice but to be close. Our parents didn't do sibling rivalry like parents nowadays. But as we got older, we grew in different ways. We had life happen. We still love each other just the same but we don't see each other nearly as much as I desire. But oh when we do.... it's like no time had passed. I find myself looking at Jesus in that way. When I am in troubled waters, when I step out of the boat like He commanded and then start to sink, He doesn't feel close so I reach out to people in prayer and for relief. But this verse reminds me that He is a friend that sticks CLOSER than a brother. He is there when we need Him, when we have no idea that we need Him and even when we don't think we need Him. He is closer than a brother, He is closer than any family member, He is CLOSER than we think.

Father, thank you for not only the sacrifice of Your Son's death but His life that You have for us. Jesus, thank You for the life You led to show us how to overcome our storms and that we can reach out to you, without condemnation, when we struggle to stay on the troubled waters of life. You truly are closer than anyone else, I pray that we would remember that and look to you. In Jesus name. Amen.