Walking with Jesus

Some thoughts before bed...

I find that running is a wonderful picture of our lives as Believers, and tonight as I was getting a little exercise in on the treadmill some thoughts came to me that I wanted to write down and share.

Running is not easy. I love dreaming about being a great runner. Preparing for marathons (more like making my "plan" of how to prepare for a marathon), winning races, having that outer and inner strength that it takes to run with endurance even when the body is screaming for us to stop. O how beautiful and inspiring it all is as I sit and imagine about it all. And that is usually how I set out...I make my plans, dream my dreams, and then finally I go for a run. And do you know what?! That is when I realize how hard running is...and how my body really is screaming "NO!" At this point in time is when I usually want to quit (after looking at my watch and finding out to my dismay that only two minutes has passed!!!). I almost wish I had someone pulling me along or pushing me onward.

This is also a very true picture of what it is like to walk with the Lord. I love making Bible reading plans, setting down goals for Bible memorization and prayer time, envisioning great spiritual victories, anticipating sweet intimacy with the Lord, and overcoming the sin in my life. Then I finally set out on my spiritual journey, and I am all excited as I go along. The Lord seems nearer than ever before, His word seems alive in my heart, sin seems to have vanished, and all goes well for a time. But than 1 minute passes by, 2 minutes tick on, and 3...And my spiritual muscles start to ache, my soul starts to hurt, and suddenly I just want to quit. I don't see the results I wanted, my dreams fade from view, and all I have left is the dusty path I am running, my aching soul, and my longing for what I had anticipated.

It is in these moments that I do not feel God's presence, but I trust His promise. Jesus said He would never leave us nor forsake us, and so I know He is with me in this time. Walking with the Lord is not a short and quick sprint, but it is living life with Him day by day and step by step. Soon we realize that our little legs aren't strong enough and so we start drawing upon the hand that holds our little hand in His own. We pull on the Lord to find strength...little do we realize that we may think we are finding strength in pulling His hand when really we are gliding along because His hand is pulling us forward.

Jesus loves us! O think about that!! Jesus loves me!! And as I walk heavenward He is holding my hand in His own. I trust Him to lead me where it is best...I trust Him to strengthen me and carry me...I trust that He will never leave me. Yes Jesus is holding me and I will not fear!

Well, these are my rambling thoughts for the night! Be encouraged by Jesus' great, unfailing LOVE for YOU TONIGHT!!!

How Great is Our God!

09 February 2011



Before it was time for me to go to work today, I climbed up to the flying bridge (which is where the look out stands watch) and watched while the sun burned away the morning fog and climbed higher in the sky overlooking San Diego. Ducks swam in the water while boats were coming and going and cars we driving over the bay on the Coronado Bridge on their way to work. The sky brightened into lovely shades of pink and gold and the clouds scattered from view, revealing a vibrant blue sky.






I needed to witness God’s beauty displayed through His creation this morning. I needed to see how great and awesome He is…to be reminded that I do not serve a God who needs my service, I do not worship a God who depends upon my worship, I do not love a God who loves me because of who I am. No I serve a God who came to earth and served me and saved me from the punishment for my sins, I worship a God who reconciled me to Himself so I can know the wonder and joy of knowing Him and glorifying Him, and I love a God who first loved me and has transformed my life by His love.






He does not need me…I NEED HIM. He does not depend upon me…I DEPEND UPON HIM. He is my all; my greatest good.






This is what I was reminded of this morning. HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD! He is the Sovereign Creator, the Righteous King, the merciful Savior...He is mighty to save...He is faithful, He is patient, His compassion knows no limits, His love NEVER FAILS.

Never let the struggles---the clouds of today---keep you from trusting and rejoicing in the Lord who is beautiful in splendor and majesty. You may not be able to see Him at work in your life, but He sees you...You may not be able to feel His presence, but He is holding you in His hands...You may feel overwhelmed but know that He is always with You. He will never leave You nor will He forsake you. Trust Him and rely upon His promises. Press on today in Christ's strength. Do not grow weary of doing good, but rather fix your eyes on what is unseen---fix your eyes on Jesus and He will renew your strength, He will fill you with joy, He may not take away your struggles, but He will sustain you in them.

Never forget that Jesus loves you----know and rely upon His love. And if you ever doubt His love...remember to do this...turn your eyes to the cross. For at the cross, Jesus demonstrated God's love as He gave up His life, endured God's wrath so that we might pocess this love which is better than life.

The List

Once upon a time, lived a man who struggled with the weight of guilt. He did everything he could to keep from feeling so guilty, but nothing seemed to work. So in desperation, he went to the house of a wise old man who lived at the edge of town.



The man explained his problem to the wise man and waited for a reply. The wise man gazed at him intently and stroked his pointy beard. “So why do you feel so guilty,” he asked. “What have you done?”


“Sir, I am weighed down by all my sin.”


“Have you turned to Christ to forgive you of your sin?” The wise man asked.


“Oh, certainly I have, Sir, but I still feel guilty. I try to live a life that pleases Christ, but even when I am doing good things my motives are so wicked and sinful.”


“I see. Do you believe that you are saved by grace and not by works?”


“Oh yes, of course I am saved by grace, but I cannot seem to live up to the grace God has given me.”


The wise man smiled at the troubled man. “Oh, I see, there is only one thing that can be done.”


The troubled man listened attentively as the wise man explained his solution. “For the next thirty days you must write down everything you do and say and think. You must keep a detailed record of it all whether it is good or bad. And then at the end of the thirty days I want you to bring the list to me.”


The man felt puzzled and confused. “Why must I keep a list? It grieves my heart already without keeping track of everything I do.”


“Just do as I say.”


The man shook his head and walked away, but because he was so troubled by the feelings of guilt and sorrow he decided to try it just in case it helped relieve his pain. The days passed ever so slowly. He kept a detailed record of it all just as the wise man had said. Some days He felt almost elated because he felt that surely he was improving, but then just as soon as his elation reached it’s peak he would sink again realizing his heart was gloating in pride. His list seemed to go on forever.


Finally thirty days passed, and one thing the man knew for sure: keeping a list had not made him feel any better or less guilty. If anything it had made things worse. So he returned to the wise man more sorrowful than before.


“Here is my list,” he said as he handed the wise man a thick stack of papers. “But I don’t think it has cured my feelings of guilt.


“Well, is this everything?” the wise man asked.


“Yes it is everything,” the man answered. “My guilt feels heavier than ever now."


The wise man walked over to his fireplace and knelt by the hearth. The man almost gasped in shock as the wise, old man held the list into the fire. The man looked on in horror as the old man’s hand blistered from the angry flames.


“What, what are you doing? Your hand! And my list--- it took me hours to work on the list. Why would you do this?”


The wise man did not answer, but instead took the ash shovel on the hearth and scooped up the ashes from the papers into a bowl. He motioned for the man to follow him as he walked out of his house and over to a river not far away. He took the ashes and threw them into the rushing water which quickly swept the ashes away. The man was dumbfounded as he watched on in disbelief.


The wise man turned back to the troubled man and smiled. “Where has your guilt gone now?”


The man shook his head, “It’s been swept away, my list has been swept away,” he paused. “Your hand is burned.”


“Your list could not have been taken away without a price, and you could not pay it, so I did.”


“My dear friend, what I have done is only a picture of what Christ has already done. He has taken your sin upon Himself and paid its penalty, and now your guilt is swept away. Christ paid the price. So now go your way and stop thinking about your guilt for it is no more---just like your list is gone forever. Instead think about Jesus and how much he loves you and how gracious He is in saving you.”

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day 2010

I give thanks to You, O God, for You are holy and good; You are gracious and merciful to me.

By Your great love, You have saved me and called me Your own through the death of Jesus my Savior.

For I was lost, dead in my sin; I completely and utterly hated You above all things. I did not obey Your righteous laws nor was I attentive to follow in Your ways. No, like a sheep I had gone astray, I had turned to my own way.

But in You great mercy and compassion You came to earth and sought me out. You found me and forgave  me my sins.

You lived a perfect life and fulfilled the law on my behalf. You were betrayed and disowned by Your friends and handed over to wicked men. You were mocked and beaten, You were laughed at and scorned by the ones You had made. You held their very lives in Your hands as they spit on You and beat You. Then You were led to Golgotha as You carried Your cross. You were nailed to it and hung upon it. You not only bore the horrible physical torremnt from the hands of sinnful man, but You also bore the wrath of God. You crushed by Your Father and He turned His face away from You because You took upon Yourself the sin of all who would believe. You became sin for us though You had never sinned, and You gave us Your righteousness though we had never done anything good.

You were pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquity and by Your wounds we are healed.

You die upon the cross and gave up Your life as a ransom for many. Then they laid You in the tomb, but You did not remain there for long because on the third day You arose! God was satisfied with Your sacrifice and brought You back from the grave. Our atonement had been made now we could come to the Father through Jesus the Son.

Thank You Lord Jesus for this priceless gift of salvation. Thank You for giving us Yourself and for making peace between God and man.

We are now hidden in Jesus covered by the blood of the Lamb.

So I give You thanks, O God, for apart from You I would be destined for Hell---seperated from You forever---I would never have known true joy and never received abundant life. So I give thanks to precious Jesus and I glory in Your holy name.

O Immanuel has come! God is with us! We are not alone in this world for God is with us. O thank You Jesus Christ!

#11 JESUS LOVES ME~ Midgett Adventures#3

August 28, 2010

Sometimes I feel very overwhelmed by life, and loneliness and homesickness overwhelm me, threatening to conqueror my heart with fear. Just like a boat tossed and thrown about by the waves, I also feel tossed and thrown about by the challenges and fears I face. The great many miles that separate me from home, from my loved ones, and being unable to reach them, my heart grows faint and my soul weary. I suppose it is easy to start out any race strong, but it is once you are passed the starting line, passed the crowds of people cheering you on, passed everything that was familiar---that is when endurance and perseverance are tested. And now I feel my own endurance being tested and I find myself lacking---an utter failure. But I do  not give up because I find encouragement from the verses in Romans 8:37-39. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us…nothing, absolutely nothing in the whole wide world, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus loved me…this is the reason I can keep running when my legs and muscles burn with pain. Jesus loves me…this is why I do not give up when I am overwhelmed by fear and failure. Jesus will always love me…this is the reason I rejoice in my suffering, in my struggles, in the challenges I face because I am held in the hands of a God who has shown me mercy---who loves me because of who He is and not because of who I am. I am loved and I must live as one who is loved by God. So I rejoice though I am sorrowful, I sing for joy even when I am sad, I press on when the way is tough, because Jesus is with me and He loves me.

#5 Christ's Love~ Midgett Adventure #3

July 18, 2010

Oh that we would know and rely upon the love of Christ! What joy and peace we forfeit because we focus all that we are upon the waves and struggles surrounding us instead of centering our hearts upon the Lover of our Soul. Jesus loves us! He is alive the Almighty God who has made a way for us to have peace with God! Think upon Him and your thoughts will not be weighed down by the anxieties of this life. When the waves crash around your soul and you feel as though despair is the only answer to the problems you are facing look to the cross. See Christ crucified, risen, sitting at the right hand of God interceding for you. Because He was forsaken, we will never be forsaken and because He lives so will we live. Go to Christ and know His love that has no limits.

Blown Away!

Well, it has been quite a while since I last posted anything. Life has been busy and filled with lots of good challenges. I have been mess cooking the past two weeks, which can be draining. The Lord is ever faithful in sustaining me and upholding me through His Word and through cross-centered music. I have come to love the song by Aaron Shust, "My Savior and My God." I  would listen to that as I washed dishes and cleaned tables. God has greatly encouraged my heart with His love throughout the past several weeks...when I feel down and discouraged, He brings the Gospel to my mind. "Christ has died for me, He has made a way that I can have peace with God, I am clothed in His righteousness, and in Him I hide!" Preaching the Gospel to myself is a definite must to keep my eyes focused on the cross. I do have some fellow Believers here on the boat, but most of them do not think about the cross and live discouraged lives. It is only by God's grace that He has taught me that the Gospel is not just for unbelievers but for Believers!

Now that I am no longer mess cooking, I will be working back in Navigation. I am also taking two classes that keep me busy with homework and projects. I am doing well, though even if I don't have lots of down time...it helps make the patrol go faster. I miss all of you back home, and it encourages me greatly knowing that you are lifting me up in your prayers.

I suppose if I were to sum up the past several months and even the past two years, the lessons God has taught me all seem to derive from the book of Philippians. The joy we have as followers of Christ is not based off of circumstances and feelings, but off of Him. Situations, people, pain, suffering, and even sin can never take away that which is most imoprtant to me---Jesus! Oh how I love Him...sometimes I feel like I could explode with the joy in knowing Him...and to think I have only tasted but a small bit of it. I am comforted by the fact that I am not HOME yet! Someday I will be with Jesus...and I will see Him face to face. My faith will be turned to sight. What a wonderful day that will be! My fellow Coasties cannot comprehend my joy nor the reason I am so happy when I tell them why...because I know Jesus and He fills me with joy. It is a mystery to them, but not to me. How could I be anything but joyful in knowing and being known by the Almighty God who has saved me. Believers who do not think and rejoice in the Gospel daily will be robbed of joy, drained of strength, and conformed to the word around them. We must fight for joy...true, lasting joy in Jesus. Sometimes God's presence seems far away...maybe even gone...but we must not trust our feelings. When God's presence seems far away cling to His promises.

So here I am clinging to the promises of God, amazed by His love, and filled with joy in knowing Him. I am saved by grace and I no longer live but Jesus Christ lives in me. I am not home yet, but someday soon I will be with Jesus and until then I want to live life with all I have got for His glory. O that I may be spent and used up for Him and make it to my heavenly home all used up, spilled out, and worn out from serving Jesus...and yes, smiling as I cross the finish line.

Laying Down Our Lives

March 11, 2010

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our Brothers.”
--
1 John 3:16

Jesus’ loved us to the end, giving up His life in order that we might have life---abundant life. Now as His followers we must walk in His footsteps and live a life of love. We are to love each other as Christ has loved us; not looking to our own interests, but to the interests of others. I suppose it might be a distant thought in all of our minds that perhaps if the opportunity ever presented itself (which we are positive it never would), we would certainly lay down our lives for a fellow Believer. I am left with a question that nags at my soul. What am I doing today? Yes, maybe someday I might be in a position to physically lay down my life for a fellow Believer, but how am I “laying my life down” for my Brothers today?

Am I pouring my heart out in prayer for my fellow Believers? Do I help and serve at church? Do I bear the burdens of my fellow Christians? Do I reach out to Believers who are hurting, struggling, and weary? Am I interested in the lives of others? Do I sacrifice anything/everything in order to serve my Brothers and Sisters in Christ?

Am I laying my life down for my fellow Believers?

Midgett Advenutres~ #24 Know Christ

February 16, 2010

The past couple days I have thoroughly enjoyed rereading Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. The book truly challenges and encourages my heart as it causes me to think deeply about my walk with the Lord. Hudson was a man who knew his God and loved Him. Christ was most precious to his heart, which is why he spent his life serving the Lord in China, enduring suffering and trials that I have never even imagined undergoing. His passion was fueled by God’s great love and faithfulness in saving sinners and bringing them into His awesome presence to know Him. Hudson’s life was real and full of spiritual blessing because his eyes were fixed upon that which is unseen.

How much I think we miss as we live our lives upon this earth grasping for all we can fit in our hands yet caring so little for what is truly important. We are content to make Christ a part of our lives, but we do not realize that He is not content to being just another trophy on our wall---He must be our life. All our energy, strength, time, passion, and zeal must be used to glorify His name. Our hearts are so often empty and wanting because we do not turn to the Lover of our soul to fill them. Instead we search for joy in all the wrong things and all the wrong places when Christ stands by calling to our hearts to find rest in Him. We shrug Him off though with excuses: I’ll get more serious about my faith when I am older, I just want to have fun, Jesus is boring, etc. We buy into Satan’s lies and step farther and farther away from the Cross.

I plead and urge you, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, not to linger any longer from His presence. You are missing the very best and your lives are becoming empty because you are pursuing that which is empty. Oh, run after Christ! Treasure Him and know Him! He is the only One who can satisfy your hearts.