Dear Friends,
Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for your prayers and encouragements.
I am thankful to God that I can continue to serve Him through this blog. One of my mission is to encourage others by sharing God's goodness and blessings and also encouragements from God's Words.
Trust you have had a good weekend :-)
I am very thankful to God for blessing my worship and fellowship in church yesterday. I was greatly ministered to by the Word of God. A visiting minister from Australia, Pastor Coleborn, spoke to us on "Lessons from a Storm" (Matthew 14:22-33).
Matthew 14:22-33 is the passage on how one day the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ found themselves in the midst of a storm. They were in a ship in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves. It was surely a very frightening experience. Our Lord Jesus Christ came in their hour of need and fear and assured them of His presence with them. He said those very comforting words in verse 27 "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Then the Lord recounted to us the well-known passage on how Peter walked on the water when he saw the Lord. But along the way when Peter saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, "Lord, save me" v30. And immediately our Lord Jesus Christ stretched forth his hand, and caught Peter, and said unto him, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" v31. The Lord then calmed the storm.
Pastor Coleborn exhorted on the following 3 encouraging points:
1. There are storms in our life.
In life we may face various challenges, difficulties and troubles. These are part and parcel of living in a fallen world.
We experience stress, disappointment, quarrels, sicknesses, deaths, etc.
We also have remaining corruptions in us and various temptations to sin which we battle with daily.
The storms in our life are real.
There will be storms in our personal life, our family, our work, our church and even when serving God faithfully. So even the disciples found themselves in a storm one day.
2. But we are not alone.
The One Who is Mighty comes among us and is able to keep us and care or us and watch over us.
He sees all that we are going through and He has never leave us even for a moment (Hebrews 13:5).
3. There is a Mighty Helping Hand with us.
Peter cried out to the Lord to help him when he was sinking (v30).
Likewise, we must learn to cry out to the Lord in our troubles. Our Lord is able to help us. He can calm any storms in our life.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has died on the cross to give us peace, good will and good cheer. He has overcome the world and death. His death is not in vain!
We need to look beyond our troubles and our difficulties to the One Who is in control and Who has the power to calm every storm.
When we forget the Lord and see only our circumstances then we will find ourselves sinking like Peter.
Thank God for this very comforting and encouraging sermon. How thankful I am that the Lord is with me in the storms of my life which are many!
I am thankful to God for the assurance that He has loved me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3.
He has promised that He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).
He bids me to come to Him when I am weary and laden of sins and burdens in this life (Matthew 11:28-30).
He promised that His grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
In His mercies, He is working all things for His glory and my good even when I don't see it or understand it that way (Romans 8:28).
I am thankful to God for the comfort of His Words and His presence with me daily. Thank God that He gives me great joy in waking up each morning, to commune with Him and to live for Him and serve Him.
Are you going through some difficulties right now? Are you facing terrible storms in your life? Fear not, the Lord is with you! Call upon Him and He is able to work His ways for you or preserve you through the storms so that you will emerged more than a conqueror through Him Who loved you and died on the cross for you.
May we continue to find God our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1) at all times and especially during the storms in our life. May we know more and more of His love, mercies and faithfulness. May He deepens our love and devotions to Him each day and enable us to live gratefully for Him and serve Him joyfully all the days of our life until He calls us home to be with Himself where there will be no more tears, sicknesses, pains, sufferings, etc.
For more Mission 4 Monday posts, visit Peggy.
Thank you once again for stopping by. Take care and may God grant you a very blessed week!
Matthew 14
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
