Braving The Waves...

I know it has been quite a while since I have updated my blog.  Im not going to lie, I have been very busy and blogging is something that you have to be disciplined at if you want to update regularly.  Apparently I have not mastered that art yet.  However, I have had some ideas floating around in my head for a while now. I just recently got back from Daytona Beach, Florida.  I went with NewSpring's youth group Fuse*.  Needless to say, I had quite a week in a hotel room with 5 of The LOT Project boys.  Every morning we would go to a worship service and some preaching, then we would get some free time.  The boys chose to go back and forth from the pool to the beach, so I gained some sunburn and a lil' insight for this blog.  As I was in the ocean, God spoke to me clear as could be.  As we waded back and forth through the waves, as the crashed down upon us, I started thinking.  Sometimes we catch a good wave and ride it into the shore, but sometimes we get hit unexpectedly.  This is when it became very clear to me.  These waves are just like our walk with Jesus Christ.  Without a doubt, waves are going to come throughout our Christian walk.  It would be nice if Christians didn't have to worry about that, but they do.  So how do you deal with these waves? You have to prepare for them!  When I wasn't paying attention, some waves absolutely dominated me.  I mean I got hit and went flying uncontrollably.  However, when I would pay attention and dive through the wave, I came up on the other side.  I couldn't have done this if I didn't know the wave was coming.  In life, if we are not aware that we will face hardships in our walk with Jesus Christ, then when they hit we will be caught off guard.  Sometimes that allows us to be tossed around like we have been hit by a wave.  James 1:2-6 tells us, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."  So I think Jesus wants us to know that the waves are coming, but do we put our faith in Him when they hit us.  My prayer is that we will be prepared when they hit us.  If we are prepared when the waves come and we"dive in" God's Word, then we will come up on the other side.  Sure we might have a few battle scars to remember the waves, but scars look cool right? (I've actually started a collection myself.)  King David, who saw his fair share of waves wrote in Psalm 89:9, "You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them." And he is right on the money with that statement.  God sees the waves before they crash down on us, and His promise is that through a relationship with His son Jesus He will calm the sea.  Do you believe that? Or are you going to continue to go bodysurfing blindly?  The choice is yours...

Keepin' It Real...

BeEazy