Don’t You Care If We Drown?

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

If there is one thing we know about Jesus, it’s that He loves people. That’s one of the main points of the entire Gospel.

His loves His disciples. He loves the crowds that follow Him. He loves the sinners and tax collectors He meets along His journey. He even loves the Pharisees. He loves His family. He loves the entire world.

That’s kind of the point of John 3:16 – God loves the world. Through Jesus, we see God’s love for the entire world.

We can argue about a lot in faith. But, we all agree on this. Jesus loves people. There is no doubt about that.

Watch what happens today, through in Mark 4:

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

There’s a lot in this passage. But, one of the things that always sticks out to me is this. The disciples asked Jesus, don’t you care that we are going to drown?

They are afraid. This huge storm has blown up all around them. It doesn’t look good. The boat could sink. They could drown. They could die. That’s a scary, scary thing.

So, out of their fear, they ask Jesus, don’t you care that we are going to drown! Don’t you care that we are going to die!

In short they are asking, aren’t you going to save us? Don’t you love us?

Each one of the disciples knew that Jesus loved them. They had seen His love. They knew His love. They had felt His love.

But now they were scared. They were worried. They didn’t know what was going to happen. And so they questioned. They questioned His love. They questioned His help. They questioned Him.

Do you not care if we drown?

Of course He did. But, in their fear, they lost sight of that. In their fear, they lost sight of God’s love.

Today, no matter what you are going through, God loves you. God loves you in your storm. God loves you in your life. God loves you no matter what. God loves you.

Don’t let the storm you are going through take your eyes off of God’s love. Don’t let fear cause you to doubt God’s love. God loves you more than you’ll ever know.

Don’t let the storm of today take your eyes off the love of God.

Don’t Worry About It

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

We live in a celebrity obsessed culture. With the internet, with TV, with all the different forms of media, people are famous today for simply being famous.

We live in a time when it seems that that more that people do wrong, the more fame they receive. We live in a time when seems like the surest what to get ahead is to be the baddest person. It can seem that it’s tough out there to get by when doing what is right. When seeking what is good. When trying to live a pure life.

It seems like evil gets ahead. Like wrong triumphs. Like good losses.

And not just on the news. Or in the papers. Or on the internet. But in our own lives. We see those that are doing things that we KNOW are wrong, we seem them get ahead. We see them “grow.” And we get frustrated. And we wonder what’s the point of trying to be good and righteous.

So did David. And to paraphrase what we wrote in Psalm 37, don’t worry about it:

Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.

Don’t worry about the ways of the famous. Don’t worry about the ways of the wicked. Don’t worry about the ways of others.

God’s got this. Let Him worry about.

What are you to worry about?

Not other people. Not their actions. Not their ways. Not their fame. Worry about following God. Worry about being faithful. Worry about seeking Him. Worry about knowing Him. Worry about that.

If we seek after God with all that we have, we will find all that we need.

Sometimes, we need to turn off the TV, unplug the radio, and (dare I say it) get off Facebook.

Leave the world alone. Leave the actions of others alone. And worry not about your wo

Testing

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

I still have the dream sometimes where I am late for a test that I hadn’t studied for. And it always seems to be a calculus test. I hated calculus. Anyway, in my dream I’ve always forgotten to study and I am running late and I just know that I’m going to fail this test and it’s going to be awful.

I hate that dream.

I will wake up, thankful each time that it’s just a dream.

What a terrible feeling to have forgotten that you have a test! What a terrible feeling of impending doom. It’s a helpless feeling, one that just grips the whole of your soul.

Well, in life, we are going to have tests. And the bad thing is that they may make that calculus test look easy. These test may be hard. They may involve sleepless night. Tears. Pain. Hurt. Doubt. These test could be the things that try our faith and leave us shaken.

And in James, it says we should thank God for these tests.

Huh?

Yep. James says to thank God for tests. Listen to James 1:

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

These tests we face will grow our faith. They will grow our strength. They will grow our trust. They will grow our dependence on God.

When you face a test, a real, a tough test, you can’t face it on your own. You’re not strong enough. You’re not able. You can’t do it.

But, through God, you can. Through Christ, you can do all things. Through Christ, nothing is impossible. Through Christ, you can do it.

Through Christ, you can have joy in the tests. Through Christ, you can have joy. Through Christ, we can endure. Through Christ, we can grow.

Through Christ, we can not only take these tests. We can triumph over them.

Today, and in the future, you will have tests coming. What will you do? What will we do? Will we count it joy? Will we use this to grow? Will we let this grow us closer to God?

We can count these tests as joy. When we turn to God in the midst of the trials, they will grow us.

May we grow closer to God today and each day.

Unchanging

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

We live in a world with a lot of change. We live in a world where nothing seems to stay the same over night.

We wake up daily to change.

We read the newspaper in the morning, and what we read is already old news. The rate of change, the pace of information, all these things are growing exponentially.

And we can fill overwhelmed by it all. We can feel like things are just going too fast sometimes.

Thankfully, not everything changes. Not everything is uncertain. Not everything is unstable. Listen to what the author of Hebrews says today:

So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jesus Christ is the same. He is constant. He is unchanging. No matter what.

No matter what changes in life, Jesus is the same.

No matter what changes in your life, Jesus is the same.

No matter how uncertain your future, Jesus is the same.

No matter what may change today, Jesus is the same.

He is unchanging. He is constant. He is true. And you can trust Him.

Today, and each day. Things change, yes. Things are different, yes. Jesus it the same, day after day after day.

And you can trust Him. Today, and each day.

Know Your Lane

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

One of the statements I once heard at a leadership event was the phrase “know your lane.” I really like that phrase, and I use it a lot when talking about leadership and being who God wants us to be. We should know our lane. And we should “stay in our lane.”

Ok Andy, what does that mean.

Think about driving on the interstate. There are two lanes. And, let’s say, you are driving a 1990 Pontiac LeMans (my first car. We used to call it the turtle. Because, well, you know). As I was driving to school on the interstate, I stayed in the right, i.e. slow lane. Why? Because I was driving a 1990 Pontiac LeMans. Fast was not a speed that it had. I knew what my car could do, and I knew what lane I needed to be in. And I stayed in it.

Know who you are. Know what you can do. And do it. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Know what you can and can’t do. And do it. Know your lane and stay in it.

Ok, what’s that got to with God?

Listen to parts of Psalm 78 this morning:

Their hearts were not loyal to him.
They did not keep his covenant.
Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
and did not unleash his fury!
For he remembered that they were merely mortal,
gone like a breath of wind that never returns.

God knows who we are. God knows our lane. I love the end of this passage. There were many times God should have just destroyed the people. He should have wiped them off the face of the map. He should have ended them.

But He didn’t. Why? He knew their lane. He knew that they (we) were merely mortal. They (we) are like a breath of wind that will never return.

We are weak and we are frail. We are going to make mistakes. We are going to fall. We are going to do it wrong.

That’s who we are.

But, here’s the thing. I’m not telling you to accept that. I’m not giving you permission to stay in your sin. This is what it teach us. We are weak. And if we think that the can overcome our weakness and sin based off our own will power and strength, we don’t know our lane.

We can’t. If you try today to be very good, you will fail.

But, through God, all things are possible.

You can’t do it. God, through you, can do all things. All things.

Today, know your lane. But, also know God’s lane. You are weak. He is strong. Trust in Him. And through Him, all things are possible.

A 2×4

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

Sometimes when I’m reading scripture, I have to sit and think. Slow down. Listen. Stop. Wait.

Sometimes, in these moments, I think, come on, God! What are you wanting to say to me? I’m not hearing it! I’m not hearing anything!

So, I wait. I ponder. I pray. I listen. I stop. I breathe. And sometimes, sometimes I see that word, or hear that thought, or feel that presence, and I know God is saying something to me.

Sometimes not. Sometimes I just know that I am being faithful, and in the end, that’s all God wants.

And then there are sometimes the Lord picks up a 2×4 and proceeds to wail against my hard head, saying, come on, boy, are you listening?!?!

Today was a 2×4 day.

Listen to what the Word says in Proverbs 3:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Lot’s of good stuff there, but the one word the Lord really spoke to me about was that word “impressed.” Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Don’t think you are so smart. Don’t think you’ve got it all figured out.

You don’t.

God does.

Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t trust in your might, in your power, in your wisdom. Trust in God, and in His wisdom. Trust in what He wants to do, and who He is. Trust in His might, in His power, in His way. Trust not in your own wisdom.

Trust in God’s.

Don’t be impressed with yourself. But, be blown away by God.

Don’t be impressed with your wisdom and strength, but stand in awe of the Lord and who He is, and what He has done.

The Lord took a 2×4 to my head with this passage. And I am thankful. We need to trust in Him, His plan, His wisdom, His might.

He knows what He is doing.

We need to trust.

An Anchor

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

I don’t do water. Anyone that’s ever been around me at a water park, or the beach, or really anywhere with water has learned that I don’t do water. I’m glad if water works for you, but just not my thing.

So, I’m not going to lie to you, I know nothing about boats, water, deep-sea fishing, or sea creatures. Other than the fact that I like most sea creatures fried.

But, in reading about ships, boats, and sailing, one of the things I’ve learned to appreciate is an anchor.

Now, you sea folks may correct me, but from what I’ve read and learned, it is that anchor that keeps the ship stable and in one place in the water. The anchor allows the ship to stay where it is and not be moved. And when a storm blows up, that is incredibly important. This anchor will keep the ship safe, unmoved, and undamaged.

This anchor will allow a ship to survive a storm.

Listen to what the author of Hebrews says this morning:

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

Storms are coming. There’s no doubt. There will be troubles. There will be trials. There will be tough times. There will be tears. Storms are coming.

But, remember, when the storm comes, and even when the water is smooth, you have an anchor. You have something to keep you anchored and safe. You have something you can trust.

Or, some one you can trust.

Jesus. He is your anchor. When the storms come, He is your anchor. When the wind blows, He is your anchor. When trials and temptations affect you, He is your anchor. You can trust in Him. And He will be with you in all that happens in your life.

He is the anchor for our lives. He is the one that we can count on. He is the very truth, heart, and love of God. And our lives must be anchored in Him.

Today, when the wind blows, may we find our anchor in Jesus. And may we know that no matter what blows up around us, we are safe and secure in Him.

First Things First

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

We live in a busy world. Now, it is summer, so things, at times, may be a little slower. But, by and large, the world we live in is pretty busy. There always seems to be something coming up next we have to worry about. Something next we have to do. Something next that demands our time and our attention.

And, because there is always something to worry about and focus on, we only have so much ability to focus and think through things. There’s only so much mental focus that we have. Eventually we will lose it.

So, what’s first? In your life, with all that you’ve got going on, all that you’ve got to focus on, what’s first? What takes the priority in your mind for what to focus on? Listen to Jesus’ words of advice this morning:

And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

Jesus reminds us to keep the first things first. Focus on what matters. Focus on what is truly most important.

The Father knows we need things to live. He knows we need food and drink. He knows we need the basics of life. He is aware of that. He hasn’t forgotten. He knows.

And He will take care of us. He will not leave or forsake us. He knows our needs and will provide our daily bread.

So don’t worry about it. As much as we may want to. As much as we can’t help it. As hard as it may be.

Don’t worry about it.

Keep first things first. Keep your focus on Him. Chase after God. Keep your mind on the things of God today. Make Him your priority. Make Him first.

And He will take care of the rest.

Don’t Worry

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

Today, don’t worry.

I don’t know about the be happy part. That may depend on how much coffee you get this morning as to whether are not you are happy. But, you don’t have to worry.

Listen to what Paul writes to us in Philippians 4:6 this morning:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Great words, powerful words. Words we need to hear! don’t worry about anything! Big or small. Important or unimportant. Don’t worry about it!

Well that was easy! I guess we are all done!

Wait, you mean there’s more? That’s right. Don’t worry about it. Instead, pray about it.

I like to joke that the reason I worry so much is that it makes me feel productive. If I’m worrying, I’m able to “do” something. If I’m worrying, I feel like I’m doing my part to help God out. He takes care of it all and I worry. We’re partners that way!

Paul tells us not to worry. And to do our part. Pray.

See, when we take time to stop worrying and start praying, we find something. We find that we don’t need to worry. Because of all the things that prayer does, perhaps the most amazing thing that it does is this – it draws us closer to God.

And when we are drawn close to God, we find this out. We really don’t have to worry.

Because God is good. And God is with us. And God will never leave not forsake us. And, as corny as it sounds, we don’t have to worry about. Because God is for us. So, who can be against us.

And have peace and hope and joy and peace.

But, this all comes, only when we take it God in prayer.

Today, don’t worry. Pray. And in prayer, you’ll find that, in the end, you’ve got nothing to worry about anyway.

Don’t Worry About it

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Andy Stoddard

First, two points of personal privilege, if you’ll allow.

Today is my 10th wedding anniversary. Ten years ago Holly made me the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I don’t know what I did right to deserve her and what she did wrong to be stuck with me 🙂

Second, because of that, I’m doing something I hate to do. Next Monday – Friday we are going to take a trip. I hate traveling, but I love my wife. So, no devotionals next week. We’ll start back the following Monday.

Today’s reflection could really just be scripture. There’s nothing more I can really add to something as powerful as Psalm 37. Listen to these words:

Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Good stuff.

Don’t worry about “them.” Or whatever “they” are doing. Don’t worry about the wicked. Don’t worry about their lives and what happens.

The Lord sees them. The Lord sees us. The Lord sees all.

Don’t live your life with eyes focused on other people. Don’t live your life with your eyes focused on “them.” Live you life with your eyes focused on God. Live your life with your eyes, your heart, your soul, all that you are, focused on God.

On knowing Him.

Serving Him.

Seeking Him.

Living for Him.

Don’t worry about what other folks are living for, what they are chasing, what they are choosing. The Lord knows. The Lord is aware.