Tag: Jesus’ unconditional love

When We Sink Beneath the Waves of Lies About Who We Truly Are

Trudy Den Hoed27 Comments

Do you feel ugly, insecure, and worthless?

It’s so easy to find our identity in the hurting words and painful actions of others toward us, isn’t it? Words and actions that steal our confidence and security in who we truly are. That make us feel we are unwanted, unlovable, and unusable.

Demeaning words, abusive actions, and the lack of loving attention we swallow as a child may become our own assumptions that we guide our lives according to. Assumptions that lie to us about the reality of who we really are. Assumptions that make us more vulnerable to further abuse as we grow older.

When we have been abused in some way, it’s so difficult to change our thought pattern, isn’t it? I struggled with this for many years. Still do sometimes. As I look back, I often picture myself like Peter who was invited to walk to Jesus on the water. How thrilling, right? But as he walked, he opened his ears to all the noise of the storm and his eyes to the tumultuous waves around him ready to swallow him up. He took his focus off of Jesus. And he sank.

Satan knows how vulnerable we are and he tries his hardest to distract us from Jesus and the truth of His love and our value in Him. He whips up the noise and tumult of the lies we assumed about ourselves. In our weakness, we often succumb to it and sink beneath the waves, flailing against the strong currents of worthlessness that suck us down, down, down…

Over the years I have often taken my eyes off of Jesus and closed my ears to His whispers of love. I often sank back into the lies and shame, those assumptions I made from past demeaning words and abuse. I didn’t think I would ever come up for air, but Jesus didn’t let me drown in them. He lovingly reached down and lifted me up yet again. He lovingly held my face in His nail-pierced hands and said, “My precious child, keep your eyes fixed on Me.”

Jesus, in His unfailing love and endless compassion, reached down, took Peter’s hand, and pulled him up in spite of Peter’s doubts and fears. And Jesus will do the same for us every time we sink. He never tires of lifting us up again.

God is so ready and willing to restore what others shattered in us and help us to see ourselves through His eyes. What HE says about us and what HE has done for us is what matters, and He can give us the grace to again and again fix our eyes on Him. He is not going to condemn us or stop loving us when we falter. He empathizes deeply with our pain and struggles.

“From the ends of the earth I call to You,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Psalm 61:2 NIV

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;
My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.”
Psalm18:2 AMP

“The eternal God is your refuge,
and His everlasting arms are under you.
He drives out the enemy before you;
He cries out, ‘Destroy them!’”
Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT

Dr. Michelle Bengston

Jesus Will Always Be a Faithful Pilot Even When We’re Afraid and Forget His Past Mercies

Trudy Den Hoed28 Comments

Photo Courtesy of Pixabay

It’s scary when we feel so powerless and helpless in the storms of life, isn’t it? The coronavirus storm marching like a deadly enemy across the world causing devastating changes and losses for old and young alike. Physically, emotionally, and mentally. On top of other known or hidden trials hitting us as individuals or families.

When the disciples were in a boat with Jesus (Mark 4:35-41), a raging storm whipped up powerful waves that washed over the boat. As the boat filled up, they were sure they would sink into the sea.

Desperation and distress tore at their spirits. Jesus, where are You!?

They cried out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Jesus got up from sleeping on a pillow at the helm, a pilot’s place. He rebuked the wind and waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Immediately it was completely calm.

Jesus asked, “How can you be so afraid? After all you’ve seen, where is your faith?”

They forgot that Jesus was in their boat, so they had nothing to fear, no matter how strong the storm was. They forgot all the miracles they had already witnessed Jesus perform. They forgot Jesus is a Pilot whose plans are always to prosper them.

We can have such short memory spans, can’t we? I I know I do. I easily remember the fear and devastation of past storms in life and forget God’s deliverance and how He has made me stronger in Him through them.

I easily get discouraged and devastated at all the pain in the world today, and forget God’s Almighty power to rescue us from the deepest pit, to get us safely through the most severe storms in life, and to know and care about every detail of our lives.

“Away despair! My gracious Lord doth hear.
Though winds and waves assault my keel,
He doth preserve it: He doth steer,
Ev’n when the boat seems most to reel.
Storms are the triumph of His art:
Well may He close His eyes, but not His heart.”
George Herbert (1633)

I know it’s not always easy, especially when “winds and waves assault” and blindside us, but God is still a faithful Pilot and “storms are the triumph of His art.” Though there may be times when we feel He doesn’t hear our cries, He is still working behind the scenes. Always. He never, ever closes off His heart of love, compassion, and mercy to us.

Even in our weak and frail moments, His love never fails. His unconditional love that doesn’t condemn us even when fear and anxiety coexist with clinging faith in the midst of the storms of life.

“Because of the Lord’s great love
we are not consumed,
 for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

Sometimes It Takes a Storm

by Jessica King

“They were drifting in the darkness,
The sea was all around.
They cried out to the Master,
Please save us or we’ll drown.
Jesus heard the cries,
And mercy stilled the wind.
Sometimes it takes a storm,
To see the sun again.”

Jesus Will Be With Us in the Storms of Life, Even When We Doubt

Trudy Den Hoed24 Comments

“Lord, if it is really You, then tell me to meet You on the water,” Peter called to Jesus who walked on the water to be with His disciples.

“Come.”

Peter boldly stepped out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. But then he took his eyes off of Jesus. He focused on the boisterous waves swirling around him.

“Lord, save me!” he cried out as fear and desperation choked him and the sea threatened to swallow him.

Did Jesus let him drown? No, He Immediately reached down His hand and caught him.

I can almost imagine the sorrow in Jesus’ eyes as He said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

I don’t believe Jesus said it to condemn Peter but to plead with him to keep his eyes focused on Him, not on the storm. And He questioned him, so Peter would question and examine himself.

This story (Matthew 14:22-34) has often been used by God to strengthen me. I identify with Peter and his dancing back and forth between faith and fear. And yet, even though Jesus knew Peter would grievously deny Him in the future and even though Peter doubted His power to keep him on top of the water when he saw and felt the power of the storm, Jesus didn’t give up on him. Jesus will never, ever abandon us and let us drown, no matter how much we doubt Him. His faithfulness, love, and compassion are limitless.

It’s so easy to be swallowed up in the storms of life, isn’t it? As I look back on my life, there were many times when wave after wave crashed over me and the undercurrent of doubt and despair sucked me under. 

But God! I know now that He was keeping me from drowning even when I felt like not even He cared or understood me.

Relief from my troubles and despair didn’t always come immediately. Often it was just a quiet strength to help me keep putting one foot in front of the other. In hindsight I see more of the depth of His amazing love and faithfulness that upheld me. How He reached out and pulled me up, how He brought my limp body and spirit to the shore of His grace and breathed life into me, how He carried me when I had no strength to keep going. Again and again… And He still does…

May God strengthen and calm you with His love
and grace in the midst of life’s storms!

Are you in one of life’s storms right now?

What has been the greatest storm in your life?

What verses calm you in the midst of the storm?

Sometimes He Calms the Storm
by Scott Krippayne

“…Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea
But it doesn’t mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child…”