August 22, 2011

"We are learning how to walk on water"


That was probably my favorite late-night-lying-in-bed type of conversations with Johanna. It was a revelation that hit me suddenly in the midst of conversation about that day and I sat up to say, "Han, we're learning how to walk on water". We have reached the point of taking that first step of faith (when Peter actually gets out of the boat to meet Jesus on the water) which you could classify as obedience as well. And now we're standing there on the water, keeping our eyes focused on who is calling out our name and saying to us, "come".

Our conversation continued as we acknowledged Peters lack of faith once he saw the angry waves crashing beside him. We recognized the urgency to keep our eyes on Him when the storms come, to choose faith always even when the situation seems hopeless. We sat there just relishing in the joy and peace that was available to us as we talked about all of the great things to come this year. We laughed and smiled and both recognized that our joy came from His presence with us that night. We prayed and fell asleep with hearts full of peace.

The next day came banging down our doors with the reality of an evil one who seeks to steal, kill and destroy. We didn't see each other that whole day, but both of us struggled with walking in the joy and peace that we experienced the night before. We both fell to our emotions, allowed them to control our moods and felt pessimistic about the school year. It was as if the night before had never occurred.

In church that day, I kept flipping back to Ephesians 6: 10-11 and 18. I even memorized it sitting there wondering why it was on my heart. I prayed about who the Holy Spirit was leading me to share this scripture with and the opportunity never came. It wasn't until Johanna and I were back in our beds, about to turn the light off that I realized that God gave me a warning early that Sunday morning.

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil....Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

God is good. He is my Faithful Pursuer of my heart and He holds tight to my soul. Heed this warning, because there is an evil doer who seeks to ravish our souls. Be Alert and pray without ceasing.

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