What Are We Looking At?..Anne Peterson

 What Are We Looking At?

By: Anne Peterson

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.- 2 Corinthians 4:18

Jesus was here. Even though he was born as a baby and walked this earth, Jesus knew it was not his home. We are also told in 1 John 2:15-17 that we are not to love the world or the things in the world. We read that the world will pass away, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. In John 15:19, John explains that if we were of this world, then we would be loved by the world, but the world hates us, because we are not of this world.

Jesus knew when he came to Earth he would be here for just a while. God had a purpose for Jesus’ life and Jesus fulfilled that purpose, even though he only had a ministry of a few years.

But there is more going on than meets our eyes. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness. But sometimes we forget, and we try to fight in our own strength. No one better illustrated this in Jesus’ time than the Apostle Peter.

When Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, he started out fine because his eyes were on the Lord. But when Peter looked elsewhere, noticing the wind and the waves, he immediately started to sink. I love that Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water out of obedience to Jesus’ words. It probably didn’t make any sense, but that didn’t matter to Peter. Faith means we take one step at a time. Peter never would have experienced that miracle had he not chosen to obey God’s voice.

What is so meaningful to me is when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and he went down in the water, Jesus immediately lifted him out. Jesus didn’t chastise Peter or shame him for not keeping his eyes on him. He simply saved him.

Later in his life, Peter would write letters to other believers, encouraging them to be self-controlled and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8). We’re told that because the devil is just prowling around wanting to devour us. Each of us are fighting a spiritual battle. Satan spends his time trying to make those who follow Christ fearful. He tries to convince us that God doesn’t care about our lives.

And yet, God’s Word is full of promises that contradict what Satan says. God tells us he will not leave us. He reminds us that he is our refuge and he loves us more than anyone else ever has or ever will.

So, the question is, what are we looking at? Are our eyes on the stormy sea, on the Son who saves?

 A Prayer for the Busy Seasons of Life

By Alicia Searl

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” - Psalm 46:10

It was 5:30 am when I got the quick kiss and “I’ll see ya later,” goodbye from my sweet hubby as he rushed out the door to take our middle daughter to her softball tournament. I had another thirty minutes before it was my time to “get going,” and I was going to soak in every minute of it. But, when that alarm clock went off, my whole body groaned at the fact that it was now my time, and it was one of “those weekends.” The divide and conquer weekends. I was tired. Tired of being immersed in this crazy season of life. When my oldest came into our bedroom with her softball socks in one hand and her softball bag in the other, I knew I had to face the fate of the day. I forced myself out of bed, woke up our little one, and we piled in the car, heading in the opposite direction for her tournament.

This season of our lives is super busy. While we’ve had multiple talks on how to slow down, re-arrange our schedule, or make more time for our daughters, and us, we still end up here - busy. Right back at square one. Running around from event to event with our teen daughters, helping them live their best lives. Sigh. Unfortunately, time is one thing we can never get back. So, my husband and I have managed to see this season for what it is – the “I’ll meet you on the couch at 10 pm, so we can hold hands and fall into a heap together” season. Our daughters need us, our family needs us, and we both have careers with deadlines, church obligations, and so many other things that pull us apart in many different directions. While we aim for date nights and the occasional alone time, we have learned that prayer is our immediate lifeline. We can always get through the day when we pray!

The other night while we were together in our usual spot (the couch) my husband looked over at me and said, “I wouldn’t want to do this crazy busy life with anyone else.” And, while many days I want to throw in the towel, I would have to agree…I wouldn’t do this with anyone else either! Then we sat in silence and soaked in the peace of that moment.

Let’s pray:
O Lord,
We come before You with this season of endless parenting demands and ask that You relieve our burdens. Be with us Lord, as we are so tired. We know that You are a good Father and will sustain us during this season, so we invite You into our busy lives and ask You to grant us peace and settle our hearts. As we strive to do our best to “juggle it all” while pouring love over our children and marriages, we ask that we set our sights on You. Be there and be our guide. Show us Your presence as You breathe a little bit of life and calm into our chaos. Deliver peace as only You can, as we find pockets of time when we can rest and lean in on You. Give us strength to endure each day and walk beside us, leading and protecting our family as we all disperse in different directions.

Gracious God, we must admit that we aren’t always good at knowing how to organize our schedules and can fill them up rather quickly with unnecessary things. We ask that You please show us where we can use our time more efficiently and wisely, as we long to honor You with our time. O God, You tell us to “Be Still, and Know…” (Psalm 46:10). But it can be so difficult to find those moments to be still. We can also easily fall into the traps of seeking stillness and peace that we don’t even recognize the times when they are given to us. When we are at games or events, help us find ways to slip away and get quiet with You. Those moments are so precious to us, Lord. We thank You for Your unfailing love and for granting us time in our day to see You everywhere. We pray we take notice and look up! Amen.

A Prayer for Leaning Into God's Equipping - ..Greg Laurie

 A Prayer for Leaning Into God's Equipping - Your Daily Prayer

Greg Laurie

God did not call us to something big only to leave us hanging. We can trust Him with each day, task, and notion to do things for Him.