anitasanecdotes

Matthew 14:25-33   ²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.  ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.  ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”  ²⁸ Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.  ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”  ³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

When we take a risk, we face times of fear and doubt. We become distracted by the chaos of living with uncertainty. We need someone with experience there to give knowledgeable advice and encouragement.

As we step out in faith, moving beyond our comfort zone, we also experience anxiety and fear. We become confused by the voices that discourage us. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, he will guide us through perilous times. Have faith and walk forward.

Lord, sometimes we doubt the direction you call us to go. Help us to look at you and give us faith to walk forward. Amen.

Job 23:11  ¹¹ My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside.

We all remember hard winters when we were children. The snow piled up high around the house. Our dads would go outside and make a path for us to follow. We would put our feet into the footsteps he created for us. We knew that we would be safe as long as we followed in his footsteps.

Whenever we take on something new it is helpful to follow the path made by someone who has experience. We are able to follow their lead and avoid the pitfalls they made because they have carved out the best path for us. We need only walk in their footsteps to experience success.

Jesus walks before us along the path of faith. He has experienced everything we will experience. He has made a path for us. We need only to follow in his footsteps. As long as we stay on the path he has laid out for us we will be safe. Trust in him and follow in his steps.

Lord, help us to follow your steps and to walk in your ways. Amen.

2 Samuel 22:32-34  ³² For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?  ³³ The God who has girded me with strength has opened wide my path.  ³⁴ He made my feet like the feet of deer, and set me secure on the heights.

If you have ever tried to walk on a sandy beach you know it can be difficult, particularly if you are trying to climb up a dune. For every step forward, you slide back at least as far. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and effort with little to show for it.

When we try to go it alone in our faith journey we find ourselves walking on spiritual sand. It is hard to make progress. We slide backward. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and effort with little to show for it.

But God is our rock. When we put our trust in him and allow him to direct our paths we step securely on firm ground, no more slipping or sliding. We can rest in him and he restores our strength, even as we continue to move forward on the way to new life in him.

Lord, help us to put our trust in you so that we can walk securely in you. Amen.

Hosea 14:9   ⁹ Those who are wise understand these things; those who are discerning know them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.

As we spend time trying to improve our lives we learn the right practices to embrace. We understand what we need to do to be successful. If we follow what we know to be right we will succeed but if we choose to go another way we most likely will fail. Each time we decide to do things that are not helpful to our cause we take backward steps  and lose ground.

In the life of faith, God gives us clear directions on which way to go. The Scriptures are the road-map we follow to live the kind of life God intends for us. If we walk in the way the Lord has set for us we will be blessed. But if we choose to go our own way and refuse to listen to the Lord’s counsel we will stumble and fall. We have only ourselves to blame.

The good news is that at any point on the road we can turn around. We can listen to God’s counsel and walk in his ways. It may take effort to get up from the place we have fallen into but God is there to pull us out. We need to ask for his help and remember his teachings. Then we will be on the right track once again.

Lord, help us to turn away from doing those things that do not help us. Lead us on the right path. Amen.

Isaiah 30:20-21  ²⁰ Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.  ²¹ And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

When we are dealing with difficult circumstances we don’t know where to turn. We find ourselves turning to many possible solutions even ones that may seem farfetched and dangerous. We will do anything to get out of the situation we are in. Most times we put our hopes on these solutions only to have our hopes dashed as they do not work.

God wants us to know that he is present with us in adversity and affliction. We can bring our concerns to Him. He will listen to our complaints and show compassion in our sorrow.

It will require patient listening on our part. We must be quiet in our mind and heart to hear God’s voice. But as we consider which way to go God will help us. He will help us to think through the possibilities and help us understand when we are thinking of turning the wrong direction. Wait, listen, and you will walk in God’s way.

 O God, we don’t know which way to turn. We are listening for your voice to lead us in the right direction. Please give us the word. Amen.

1 Kings 8:23-24   ²³ He said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, ²⁴ the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand.

People make promises all the time. But it is hard for us to keep all of them. We are fallible. We may be unable to do what we promised because of circumstances out of our control, our own insufficiencies, committing to more than we can handle. Some just promise what they think we want to hear to get us on their side. They have no intention of keeping those promises and create hurtful relationships.

God keeps his promises. Even when we fail to keep the ones we have made to Him, He is faithful. God loves us with an everlasting love. God walks with us through difficulties. God provides for our needs. God is always there for us.

Lord, thank you that you are faithful and keep your promises. Help us to trust in you. Amen.

Hiding

Genesis 3:8   ⁸ They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

When we are trying to do a new and better thing in our lives, we may find ourselves slipping at times. We choose to do those things that we know to be at best ineffective and at worst destructive to our efforts to change. We often do these things in private, behind closed doors, so that others can’t see us. We hide our indiscretions, hoping that no one finds out.

Throughout our life of faith we may also slip. We do things that we know are not helpful and often hurt our faith journey. We don’t do the things we know would move us forward. We stop worshiping, we stop reading the Bible, we stop seeing other Christians. We try to hide our indiscretions.

But God sees us where we are. He knows we are hiding and seeks us out. God wants to help us stay on the right path, to give up harmful habits and to restart positive practices. God is faithful even when we aren’t. Come out of hiding and walk with Him.

Lord, you find us in our hiding places. Help us to come out of hiding and to follow you. Amen.

Philippians 3:13-14  ¹³ Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Often when striving towards a goal we set smaller goals on the way. As we pass each goal we feel a sense of accomplishment. We then set a new goal and work toward it on our way to final success.

The same is true in the walk of faith. Our ultimate goal is to live a holy life avoiding the things that tempt us and loving others even though that may be difficult. God helps us understand the goals we need to reach. We become aware of our weaknesses and deal with them through prayer, supporting one another, and reading the scriptures. As we conquer one goal we need to move forward and stop allowing that hindrance to control us. We may have to strain to keep moving forward but finally we will break free and discover God’s calling on our lives, using our victories to encourage others.

Lord, help us to meet the goal you have set for us. Help us discover those things we need to conquer to have a closer relationship with you. Guide our feet as we walk in faith. Amen.

Romans 6:4   ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

 It is always good to have an advocate: someone who encourages us when we falter; someone who stands up for us and argues for us; someone who knows where we’ve been and gives us a vision of a better future. It is good when our advocate walks with us on the journey, pushing away obstacles, and protecting us from the potholes and bumps in the road.

Jesus Christ is our Advocate. He has been where we have been. He knows the pitfalls in the road of faith. He has stood up for us, fought for us, and won the battles we were too weak to fight. Jesus gives us a vision of a future filled with love and peace and joy. We may be struggling now, but Jesus is walking by our side. He will not let us fall. We need only to put our trust in him because he is faithful.

Lord, thank you for loving us. Thank you for being our Advocate. Help us put our trust in you. Amen.

1 Kings 3:14   ¹⁴ If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”

Experts tell us that if we stop smoking, stop drinking to excess or taking drugs, eat heathy foods, exercise more, and take on other good lifestyle practices we will live better and longer. They have evidence that these positive steps make a great difference in the kind of life we will lead.

God also offers a life plan for a long and healthy life. When we walk in his ways and keep his commandments we will make better decisions for our lives. These better decisions will improve the life we lead. We will be more grateful. We will have peace of mind and heart. We will be joyful and have hope. We will be whole.

We will be able to face whatever comes our way knowing that our God will lead us. Our paths will be protected and made smooth by the Lord who loves us. We will be blessed no matter what circumstances we encounter. We will thrive.

Lord, help us walk in your ways and keep your commandments so that we might be blessed by you and be given life. Amen.