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The Way to Talk with God
Life can sometimes be rough. You can have a good minute then a bad. What do you do when the bad minutes come? Do you scream out to God or do you scream at Him? In Isaiah 1:18 God begs us to reason with Him. Why would God allow us to reason with Him? Why would our creator even want to reason with us? It is for our sake He allows us to reason with Him. It is for our sake He wants to reason with us.
God knows He is right but we do not. Not yet anyway. When He tells us to do something, we are unaware of the future ramifications. We bulk at the prospect of making this change. We come up with excuses but never to God. We talk to the air or people. We reason within ourselves and with other people looking for confirmation. God wants us to talk it out with Him.
When we first begin talking to God we go through stages and He walks us through each one. Jesus said we need to become a child and that is how we speak to Jesus first. Then we switch to being a teenager looking for independence and understanding. Then we should begin talking to Jesus, mankind to Man.
The Way of a Child
“Assuredly,” Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, “I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Think about how children talk. Babies look at you with love as you talk to them. They turn their head when they hear you speak. Then they ask questions, in awe, to learn. As children they know the world is big and they want to know everything. As children of God we know the Kingdom of God is big and we should want to know everything. We should ask God questions and listen intently for the answers just like children.
The Way of the Teenager
When we learn more and are a little more traveled we want more independence. But what also comes with independence is rebellion. God is big and can handle your rebellion. In Matthew 18 is the story of the sheep that leaves the fold. Jesus leaves the 99 behind and goes after the one. He wants you to mature enough in this stage of talking to Him that you will be one of the 99 who waits for Him to come back but if you are the one it will be because you did not speak to Him about your rebellion.
During this way of talking to God He expects you will become childlike and also rebellious. Jesus is big enough to hear your complaints like the Judge from Luke 18:5. He will give you justice but you have to tell Him what you are looking for and listen to what He has to say about it. Both the way of the child and teenager are about learning. We cannot always stay childlike or rebellious we must prepare ourselves to become an adult.
The Way of Mankind
Isaiah 1:18 tells us we must reason with God and God told Job to prepare himself like a man because God is going to question Him, and God is expecting an answer (Job 38:3). God expects us to stand before Him and reason with Him about everything we need to understand. He expects an answer. Why do you think that way? Where were you when I created everything? Do you know how the ocean stays behind its lines or even how the line got there? Just as God reasoned with Job and every other person in the Bible He will reason with us, but we have to do it like a man. We have to prepare ourselves to speak to Him. The way to prepare ourselves is to put off childish behaviour and rebellion. Know that God is who He says He is and we are who He says we are.
God created each one of us to have a relationship with Him, but He will not allow us to act like children the whole time. He will also not allow us to rebel against Him forever. Time is not on our side. It is on God’s side. Use what little time you have left to talk with God about all the things that matter to you. All the things that matter to you are exactly the things that matter to Him.
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Three Ways to Walk on Water
Resisting temptation means revisiting your past and thinking about your future while living in the present. You have to do all of this through the lens of the Bible. A lens is for you to see better. In other words, it is about your eye. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.” Light changes what you can see.
The Bible tells us a story about Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33). The very minute he lost sight of Jesus (the Light) he sank but Jesus was there to grab His hand. I am sure you have all read or heard the story about Peter being bold enough to step out on the water. We also cringe when we hear this story because we know what happens. He steps out, loses faith and sinks. Is this why you won’t step out on the water? You can learn ways to walk on water from this story.
Way One: Get Permission
Matthew tells us in verse 28, Peter asked Jesus to command him to come out on the water. How weird is that to comprehend. He didn’t walk out or say, “Can I come too?” He told Jesus to command Him. If you think about that for just one minute you will feel a sense of peace as you do your daily walk with Jesus. When you know your every minute is guided by the hand of Jesus, asking permission to walk on water will take the fear away from walking on the water. When you get permission, His word will be the lamp to your feet even when you are walking on water.
Way Two: Focus on Jesus
In verse 29 Peter is given permission to come to Jesus except he didn’t quite make it. The wind and the waves scared him, and he sank. He lost focus on the Man who gave Him permission to come. Do you lose focus too? Walking on the water is not easy. It takes courage but sometimes you will lose your courage and doubt. Keep coming to Jesus even when you have doubt because you know that is where you are supposed to be. When you focus on Jesus, His word will be the lamp to your feet even when you are walking on water.
Way Three: Rely on Jesus
“Immediately Jesus stretched out His and caught him” verse 31 tells us. How often have you denied the commands of God because you doubt Jesus will catch you? He tells you many times He will be with you. You need to stop doubting and believe He is with you for every step He commands you to take. His plan for you is the best plan for your life. Living an abundant life can only be done as you rely more on Jesus. When you rely on Jesus, His word will be the lamp to your feet even when you are walking on water.
Walking on water is difficult sometimes, but sometimes the water is frozen to make it easy for a time. Either way there is a chance you may fall in. Don’t let that knowledge stop you from getting out of the boat. Psalm 119:105 says God’s Word is a light for your feet and a light to your path. Light travels through water and reflects off of the water. Water does not stop the Light it changes how we see it.
As long as you get permission to get out of the boat, focus on Jesus with every step and rely on Jesus to show you the way, you will walk on water every day of your life. It will be exhilarating and life giving every day. You will see the Light in front of you and you will be able to give that Light to everyone else in the boat with you.
