Calming the Storm | Miracle of Jesus Christ

Have you ever been in a situation where it felt like there was no way out? Maybe you were facing something so overwhelming it felt like you would not make it? Was there ever a time when you felt like if God did not intervene you would lose everything?

When we think of the miracles of Jesus Christ we may think of how He healed lepers, opened blind eyes and deaf ears. Those are actual miracles Jesus performed. These historical accounts serve to deepen our faith and remind us that God loves us and wants to help us. While those miraculous events are encouraging, sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we need God to move quickly and that is what we will see today as we read from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. As we read what happened in a life-threatening situation long ago, we can hold onto faith knowing Jesus is still able to meet our needs rapidly today.

Matthew 8:23 And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him.

The first thing Matthew tells us is that Jesus boarded a ship and the disciples followed Him. These are men in relationship with Jesus. He talks with them. He has performed miracles in their presence. They know and trust Jesus. Do you? Have you spent time with the Master? Are you familiar with Jesus? If He went onto a ship, do you trust Him enough to follow Him? Would you first want to ask some questions about the destination or perhaps the weather conditions? Would you need some time to think about whether or not you should go? The disciples followed Jesus without questioning Him. 

Matthew 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep.

Things were going well at first. Jesus lays down to rest. Have you ever been on a boat and the waves begin to rock the boat and the sun is warm against your skin, and then a cool breeze blows out across the water? Recently my family took my mom and my sister's family out on the water. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed our time together. My son fell asleep and my brother-in-law stated he was so relaxed he could take a nap, too! 

The disciples had no idea everything was about to change! A storm comes up quickly and the waves start crashing against the sides of the boat, and then the waves get bigger and they are getting soaked. The Bible says in Matthew's account that the ship was covered with waves. I can imagine that would be terrifying and anyone who may have dozed off was no longer sleeping! Except, it says that Jesus was asleep! The storm did not move Jesus. He was not concerned about the waves or how threatening the situation had turned. He is asleep!

Sometimes we may feel like we have been blindsided. Maybe a diagnosis or a loss of some sort has taken us by surprise and it seems like our only hope is not around. Maybe we feel overwhelmed and attacked on every side. Where is Jesus when the storms of life rage around us? He may be near but it feels like you are fighting this battle all alone.

Matthew 8:25 And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

The disciples went to Jesus. Have you gone to Him? In their desperation they beg for Jesus to save them. They feel as though they will die. They want Jesus to calm their nerves, to put their minds at ease, and to fix it. Do you want that? Are you in a place where you are running to Jesus to save you because you think you are not going to make it? It is not wrong to do that. We must turn to our Savior and ask Him to get us through these circumstances, but we have to want more than a life preserver from Jesus. We need to know that Jesus can solve any problem we have, but when we are asking, do we believe that He can change things, or do we just hope so?

Matthew 8:26 And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 

Notice that Jesus speaks to the disciples before He speaks to the wind and sea. He asks the men why they are afraid and why they have so little faith. You see, He has done miraculous things in front of these disciples. They know the power that He has but they ran to Him in fear instead of asking from a place of faith. It is sometimes very difficult to remember that Jesus wants to help us. We are safe just because He is with us. Keep in mind, Jesus does not reject the disciples because they asked in fear, but rather once again displays His power right before their eyes. He commands the situation to be still and immediately it is calm. Jesus did not calm the disciples, He changed the circumstances. 

Matthew 8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!

The disciples are surprised that Jesus answered their prayers. They are safe. They are with the Peace Speaker and everything is okay. Now they see Jesus in a different way. They are in awe that Jesus has power over nature. There is no limit to what He can do.

Mark's account is quite similar to Matthew, but let's see what Mark's experience was.

Mark 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

The disciples are with Jesus in the evening and Jesus suggests they cross over to the other side of the sea.

Mark 4:36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships.

So Jesus and the disciples sent the multitude away after Jesus had been teaching them, There were other little ships near where people were most likely boarded to listen to Jesus speak. Jesus and His disciples are all on the same ship at this point in the evening.

Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so it was now full.

Mark shares that a terrible storm came upon them and the ship they were in was filling up with water as the waves are beating into the vessel they are in. The water is high enough to splash over into the ship. This is no small matter. They are in danger of losing their life if something is not done.

Mark 4:38 And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish?

Did you catch that? Mark says Jesus is laying on a pillow! He is good and comfortable. Jesus is in the stern of the ship sleeping while they are scared out of their minds! They wake Jesus and ask Him if He even cares that they are about to die. Have you ever asked something similar? I know I have. I have felt like Jesus was not concerned about how bad things were in my life and in my health especially. I wondered if He had forgotten me. We all can face circumstances that feel so overwhelming and heavy that it can feel like we are left to fight the winds and the sea alone while Jesus is safe and comfortable somewhere else.

Mark 4:39 And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

In Mark's account, Jesus got up and told the wind and the sea to be still and there was a great calm. It wasn't just an absence of stormy conditions, but there was a big change in the atmosphere. Have you ever been in a situation where God came on the scene and it was instant peace? I know I have and there is nothing like experiencing the power of God in that way.

Mark 4:40 And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Jesus calmed the storm and then addresses the disciples and asks them why they were afraid and how is it they have no faith. Of course Jesus understands that the storm and the waves crashing overboard is a scary situation. He knows the humanity of the men that are with Him. He is not telling them they are wrong for being afraid of the storm. He is reminding them there is no reason to fear anyone or anything when they have their confidence in Him.

Mark 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?

The men who witnessed the power of Jesus were in awe that He had authority to do more than the healing miracles they saw with their own eyes. They had never encountered anyone with the ability to command the wind and sea to obey. Jesus does not condemn the disciples for being fearful and lacking faith, but rather challenges them to think differently about who He is and what He can do. It is almost as if He is saying, "Guys, you are with Me so there is nothing to be afraid of. Simply believe in Me."

We have heard from Matthew and Mark, now let's turn our attention to the book of Luke. The physician takes four verses to discuss what happened that day on the lake.

Luke 8:22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

Again we see, as in the other Gospels, Jesus is with His disciples and wants them to go with Him to the other side of the lake, and so they did. I think this is very important to highlight that it is Jesus's idea to take this boat trip across the water. Could it be to show the disciples, and ultimately all of us, another side of Jesus we have not encountered yet?

Luke 8:23 But as they sailed He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

Luke states that as they sail along Jesus falls asleep. Again, not an unusual experience. Jesus may have been exhausted after ministering to the multitudes for so long and now He is resting before they go to the other shore and He begins to minister again. Luke's account says that as the weather changed they were in jeopardy. This is not just a scary moment because of the high winds and choppy water, but the ship is taking on water and Luke lets us know their lives are at stake.

Luke 8:24 And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

Again, we see the disciples turn to Jesus. Something about Him makes the disciples run to Him to save them and help them. If Jesus was just an ordinary man, would they have ran to Him to save them? It is doubtful. Why are they not looking to one another for help. Instead, they run to Jesus. It is important not to gloss over that fact. We Christians know that Jesus is our hope and our answer, but the disciples do not have the New Testament to read. They are living this out and it is important to note that they expected Jesus to do something to help them.

Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and the "raging of the water." It is important for Luke to describe the situation. There was a violence to this storm. It was not just a rain shower. There was a real threat felt by all the men aboard the ship. Luke says they call on Jesus and state, "We perish." This is a different perspective than Matthew or Mark had. Luke remembers the encounter as they were in danger of dying and so they addressed Jesus with that news. Luke says that when Jesus rebuked the storm, the raging ceased and there was a calm.

Jesus will take the chaos and the raging of spiritual storms in our own lives and will rebuke them, leaving us with a peace and a calm that can only happen with His authority. We must not think we are alone to fight these rough battles, because Jesus is with us and we do not have to be afraid.

Luke 8:25 And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.

We should note that Luke only quotes Jesus asking where is their faith. He does not mention that Jesus asked why they are afraid. Perhaps this stuck out more to Luke that Jesus is questioning their faith. Jesus could have said a lot of things to them. He could have bragged about His ability to calm the wind and sea, but He did not do that. He gently asks them where their faith is. He was teaching them to put their trust in Him. He is teaching us that today as we look at these passages.

What battle are you in? Do you feel like you are facing some storms that came on suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere? Did you find yourself following Jesus and doing what He asked of you and yet this raging, angry storm appeared knocking you off your feet and you feel as though you are in jeopardy? Friends, don't be discouraged. That same Jesus who calmed their storm and removed their fear, is the same Jesus who is offering you the same solution. He wants to be your storm chaser. He will provide peace and calm to the chaos that threatens to destroy you. Where is your trust? Where is your hope? Where is your faith? Let it be found in the Peace Speaker, the Master of the Wind and the Tamer of the Sea.

I have enjoyed looking at these miracles of Jesus Christ with you all. It is so rewarding and enriching for me to dig deeper into the Scriptures and reflect on what Jesus did when His disciples felt as though they were going to drown. It reminds me that He is not going to let me go under either. I pray that you are encouraged today and that this has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you!

Bridgett Owens

Choosing God's Peace | S.O.A.P. Bible Study | Thankful Thursday

I missed my Thankful Thursday post yesterday due to illness. I am feeling strong enough today to share it so I thought it is better late than never! I wanted to do another S.O.A.P. Bible Study in my PrintPression Weeks. It is the perfect book to do this in as each page has four squares. It enables me to do a quick study and I love it. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

I started with the blank page above, and added some washi tape to each of the header blocks, shown below.

I love my Dymo label maker. I use it for so many things and it is perfect for adding the titles: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer as you see below.

I placed the labels over the washi tape. You could simply write the titles in by hand, but I like the look of the labels.

I saw Colossians 3:15 and really wanted to do a S.O.A.P. Bible study on that. So I wrote out the scripture and read it in my Bible. I highlighted the verse in my Bible and read the verses surrounding it as well. It is imperative to have a good context when studying God's Word. We may think the verse means one thing, but once we read the chapter it is in and any cross-referencing it provides, we gain a better understanding of what the Scripture is saying.

I am using a BIC Intensity Fine point pen in pink because I like how it looks with the teal washi tape. I come back when my page is complete and added an arrow below the verse to take up the space. I used a stencil to trace the arrow and then colored in a checker board pattern with the pink pen seen here and an Art Alternative Fineliner pen (AA10747).

I used some dot stickers for bullet points. I observed three things in this verse. First, that it is a choice to let God's peace rule in our hearts. Paul was telling us to allow it, but ultimately it is our choice. I admit that sometimes I allow fear to rule my heart instead of God's peace and it never works in my favor. Second, I observed that I am to live my life in partnership with God. I am called into the Body of Christ and therefore to live any other way than letting God lead me is never going to please God. And finally, I observed that God deserves my gratitude and thankfulness always. He is worthy of it and there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.

This section is where I make a game plan to apply this Scripture to my life. I need to first ask for God's peace. I need to welcome His peace into my heart and allow myself to live in that peace that only God can give. I need to remember that this is the way of the believer. It is the acceptable thing to do. And finally I need to thank God all the time, and not just offer up thanksgiving or gratitude when I get my way, or have an answered prayer. I am to thank God all the time because He is always doing something good in my life and turning the bad into better things so He is worthy of all the praise.

This section is personal and I cannot tell you what to pray, but I wanted to share my prayer with you in a S.O.A.P. Bible study. My prayer is:

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your peace and love. Help me to remember You are in control and I can trust You. Thank You, Jesus.

AMEN!

Here is one final look at the S.O.A.P. Bible study page. I hope it has given you something to ponder and even motivate you to do a S.O.A.P. Bible study on your own.

This Thankful Thursday I am grateful for the peace of God that sustains me in the darkest valleys. I hope that you will count your blessings with me! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Thankful For God's Peace | Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday! What a favorite time of the week for me! I enjoy counting my blessings. There is so much to thank God for. When we focus on God and His goodness we will feel the joy of walking with God. When we think every good thing we have is from the things we do ourselves then we are taking the credit that truly belongs to God. He is the source of all good things. In Romans it talks about the ones who knew God but did not glorify Him and were not thankful. It says they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart turned dark. Being grateful is so important and remembering to thank God from Whom all blessings flow will keep us from turning away from God.

ROMANS 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Without God governing our lives, shepherding our souls, leading us and guiding us we will be filled with worry, fear, anxiety, and great sadness. But we do not have to live like that when we are walking in fellowship with Christ. Jesus is the way to perfect peace. I encourage you to read the third chapter in Colossians. We discover characteristics and behaviors we are to remove from our lives and to start fresh by walking in mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love. As we allow God's ways to shape our lives and minds, we will become more like Christ. The peace of God will overtake us and we will no longer operate from a place of scarcity, fear, anger, and loss. We have security in Jesus. We can trust Him. We can depend on Him. And that, my friends, gives us so much to be thankful for.

COLOSSIANS 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 

What are some of the things God has done in your life this week? Let's spend some time today in His presence thanking Him and praising Him for all the wonderful ways He answers our prayers, protects us, provides for us, and heals us. He is so worthy of all praise. Let's magnify His great name together.

I hope you're counting your blessings with me today. Be sure to stop by the blog tomorrow as we kick off this holiday weekend! I hope you were encouraged with today's post. God bless you!!

~Bridgett Owens

Guaranteed Success | Wednesday Bible Study

Today's Bible study topic is on trust. We may remember Gideon as a mighty man of valor. We may remember he was the head of the army that God used, only 300 men, to defeat a mighty army that waged war against them. We remember the triumph and the favor, but Gideon was not always a champion. When God called him from under an oak tree, Gideon was insecure and doubtful that God could ever use a man like him. We may not be able to understand what it looks like to have success and favor on our lives like Gideon, but can we relate to feeling like we are not smart enough, strong enough, or good enough to be used to do mighty things for God? I certainly can. I have battled insecurities for years, but God has been teaching me that I don't need to have confidence in myself and my abilities. I need to have confidence in God and what He can do through me. Let's read the text.

JUDGES 6:11-24 (11)And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. (12)And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. (13)And Gideon said unto Him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all His miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD has forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. (14)And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? (15)And he said unto Him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. (16)And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. (17)And he said unto Him, If now I have found grace in Thy sight, then shew me a sign that Thou talkest with me. (18)Depart not hence, I pray Thee, until I come unto Thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before Thee. And He said, I will tarry until thou come again. (19)And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto Him under the oak, and presented it. (20)And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. (21)Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. (22)And when Gideon perceived that He was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. (23)And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. (24)Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezerites.

The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. This chapter opens up telling us that the children of Israel were not concerned about God, but now that they are suffering the consequences of turning their back on God and they do not like it. Now they need Him! The Bible tells us in verse six of that same chapter that Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. Because of their circumstances, they cried unto the LORD to deliver them from the bondage. 

The first thing we see in this passage is the angel of the LORD sits under an oak tree. He sees Gideon. He does not announce His presence with a trumpet or loud fanfare. He sits beneath the oak and observes Gideon hiding out by the wine press, trying not to be noticed by the enemy: the Midianites. He has a job to do, but he cannot do it in the open. He is hiding. 

The angel of the LORD appears to Gideon. Note the greeting Gideon gets. "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!" He was greeted in the way God saw him. Gideon had no medals, no shiny armor, no big following. God called him a mighty man of valor. The salutation is that "God is with you, Gideon." I am here to tell you that God is with you today, mighty man or woman of valor! It does not matter who you think you are, God is with you and with me. He calls us men and women of valor.

What is valor? It means to have great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. Gideon did not feel like a brave man in the face of adversity. We may not feel brave either, but God called Joshua to be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might and He put the same call on Gideon and on you and me. (Joshua 1:9)

Gideon's jaw must have hit the ground! He no doubt turned and looked behind him. He couldn't believe that he was the one being addressed. He was no war hero. He was no one special. At least those are the lies the enemy planted in his mind.  And immediately insecurity rears its ugly head and makes him doubt. Friends, do not doubt your worth and potential inside of you. If you are a child of the Most High God you are a child of THEE CHAMPION and you have no other choice but to be victorious! It's in your bloodline!

God gives a declaration of power and truth to Gideon and he is so beat down by the enemy, so oppressed by his circumstances, he cannot receive it. He says the same thing many ask today when things get hard. "Where is God?" He says, "If God is really with us then why are we suffering?" Are you looking at your situation and your circumstances and asking, "Where is God in all of this? If God is with us why are we in this pandemic? If God is really with me then why am I sick? Why did he let my loved ones die?" Gideon said, "Our parents and grandparents told us that God performed miracles and freed us from slavery before when we were in Egypt. But now God has forsaken us and we are at the mercy of these awful Midianites."

Do you remember what God has done for you in the past? What about in January this year? What did God do for you in January? Can you look back and see God's hands all over your life and how He delivered you from addiction and bondage and slavery to sin? Maybe like Gideon you can see great in the rear-view mirror but when you look out the windshield of your life you don't see Him anywhere. You see the roadblocks, the dead-ends, the danger and the despair. God already answered this question when He greeted Gideon. He said, "The LORD is with thee." That is the same answer He is telling you and me today. God is with us!

God did not repeat that phrase to Gideon. He did not put His arm around Gideon's shoulder and tell him how important and special he was to Him. No, God gives him a job to do. He reveals Gideon's mission. We do not need a pep talk. We need to know what our assignment is. What are we here for? God tells Gideon to "go in your own strength and save Israel. Am I not sending you?" He is telling us the same thing. Use the strength and the energy you have and you will be successful in the thing I am calling you to do because I AM sending you! I AM is sending you and I AM is sending me. We have been told to go and do the thing that God has put in our hearts to do. What is He telling you to do?

Gideon did not grab his weapons of war and rush off to the battle. He did not stand a bit taller and throw his shoulders back, ready to face the Midian army. He did what you and I often do when we are asked to do something we don't think we can handle. He made excuses. He talked about his flaws and shortcomings. He asked God, "How can I save Israel? I am from a poor family and even in my family I am the weakest, the youngest, the least important person. Why would You choose me to do something so important? I will fail." Don't we do that too? Our first reaction is to check our toolbox and see if we have what it takes to do the job. When we see the toolbox is empty or full of things we don't see value in, we shrink back in fear. We tell God, the creator of heaven and earth, that He is wrong! He picked the wrong person. We have the audacity to argue with the King of kings and Lord of lords and tell His Majesty that He is asking the wrong person to do this job.

God is telling each of us to do something right now. It might be to talk with a friend or neighbor. Maybe it's to forgive someone who hurt us a long time ago and we are still hanging on to and nursing old wounds because we cannot forget. God might be asking us to use our skills and abilities to help someone else. Maybe it's to go on a mission trip, or give some money to an organization that desperately needs it. Maybe it's to help someone by writing a book, creating a video, starting a blog, doing the podcast, hosting a Zoom meeting. What is God telling you to do? Do not look at what you have and think you are inadequate. He told Gideon to go in his own strength and if he goes in obedience then God is going to give him the victory. It is guaranteed success. The same powerful promise is ours if we will just pick up the pen, dial the number, drive to the house, write the check, turn on the mic! God will guarantee us success. We will reach who He wants us to reach and we will not fail!

God responds to Gideon's list of Reasons I Cannot Do It by reminding Gideon that he is not alone. He promises him success. God said, "Surely I will go with you. I am not sending you alone. You are not doing this by yourself." He is telling us the same thing. "Go but do not think I am saying go alone!" God said, "Without question I am going with you!" Do you hear the heart of the Father in this? He wants to partner with us on a major undertaking to further His Kingdom on this earth. He says to us that He is going with us. We are not going to face this by ourselves.

He tells Gideon that he will defeat the massive army as if it were only one man, one opponent. God is telling us that the spirit of fear we face is our opponent and we are going to overcome fear because God did not give us that spirit. He gave us power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) We have everything we need to succeed. God just wants us to be willing and obedient.

Let's recap for just a moment. God came down to talk to Gideon and He manifests His presence to him. He declares who He sees Gideon as. He gives him a big task that Gideon would never have thought of doing. After listening to Gideon's fears and excuses of why God should find someone else to do the job, He encourages Gideon. He promises to be with him and to give him success. Now Gideon says to God, "Show me a sign You really are talking to me." He actually said that to God. He said in essence, "This is all too incredible for me to believe. Can You please show me a sign that this is really from You God? Can You please just give me proof that You are actually picking me?"

It's easy to pick on Gideon for doing that, but don't we have tendencies to do the same thing? Holy Spirit drops an idea into our heart and we think about it and we dream about it and it seems impossible and scary but exciting at the same time. Then we start asking God to prove that He really is the author of this big idea. When in reality we could never think it up for ourselves. So then Gideon tells God not to leave so he can give Him a gift and our Heavenly Father is so patient with His children that He says to Gideon, and to us, "I will wait."

Gideon comes back with some meat and unleavened bread and broth and takes it to God under the oak tree. God tells Gideon what to do and he immediately obeys. God tells Gideon to set the gifts on the rock. That is so important. When we are bringing our gifts we need to display them on the Rock - that is Jesus. We need to make sure our gifts are on that sure foundation! And when the LORD touched the gift with the staff in His hand, on the sure foundation of the Rock, the fire was ignited! Fire out of the rock! It consumed the gift. We need to make sure the Holy Ghost fire of God consumes our gift. We must do exactly what He tells us to do with our gift. If we drop the gift on the ground it is no good. If we forget the broth or spill it before we can pour it, we are missing the mark. We must carefully follow God's leading with our gifts and that will ignite His power within us and  consume us!

Now Gideon's supernatural eyes are open! He sees that it is God. And then instead of remembering this is the sign he asked for, fear grips his heart again. He thinks he will now die because he has seen an angel of the LORD face to face. But God has not come to kill Gideon. God has called him to do a mighty, valiant work for Him. In the love of our Heavenly Father, He says to Gideon, "Peace be unto you. Do not be afraid. You will not die." God gave Gideon peace and He gives us that peace, too. He is saying to us, "Do not be afraid. Here is My peace. I am giving it to you. You will not die. You will not fail. I am going to do big things through you!"

Gideon named the place Jehovah-shalom. Literally it means The LORD Is Peace. That is true, too. God is love. God is light. God is peace. I cry out to Jehovah-Shalom when I need peace and He has NEVER failed to give it to me. Friends, let's go back to where we first felt our inferiority, our anxiety, our fear, our failures. Let's go back to that awful place and let's rename it, THE LORD IS PEACE. Let's receive the gift of Jehovah-Shalom as He offers us His peace and quiets our fears. And instead of listing all our flaws, let's rename ourselves a mighty man or woman of valor. Declare today, "I have great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle!" Then suit up according to the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20. God is with us. We will not fail. He is going with us. We will not go alone. We must go in our own strength and trust God to give us the victory because we know we cannot do it alone. We cannot succeed in our own strength, but when we have done all we know to do, we must stand and see God work!

I pray that something I have shared in this week's Bible study post today, has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Seeing Father God | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

I have had an incredible time with God this morning. He has given sweet peace to me. I am full of His love and His Word and His joy! What a beautiful way to end the work week and start on the weekend: in His presence!

In my quiet time the LORD directed me to today's verse. I read it, then read it again, and underlined it. It is so beautiful and this one verse is packed full of insight, encouragement, and hope. If you need any of those things, then I invite you to sit at the table with me as we break the Bread together!

ZEPHANIAH 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty: He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.

Isn't that a beautiful verse? God is in the midst of us. In the middle of our struggles, in the middle of our pain, in the middle of our loss, in the middle of our sickness, God is in the middle of it and He is mighty! He is powerful. He is not weak. He is not scared. He is not concerned. He is not frantically searching for answers on how to handle our problems. He is in control. He is mighty! He is the solution to every problem we face. He knows what to do! Sit in that knowledge for just a moment.

What are you facing right now? What hardship are you going through? You may be struggling with difficulties and maybe you thought this year would be better. It may have started off worse than last year started. There is hope! If you are a child of God, He is with you in the middle of the suffering and He is mighty! He is powerful! He is extraordinary!

He will save. Are you saved? Are your loved ones? Your friends? Your coworkers? I have a list of people I am asking God to save. It breaks my heart when I think they may leave this world without the Blessed Hope of God in Christ Jesus. So many people think if they are good people and do nice things that they don't have to have a relationship with Jesus and they are still going to heaven. That is a lie! The Bible tells us that if we try to go in any other way than through the door of Jesus Christ we are a thief and a robber. (John 10:1) God wants to save you and your loved ones, your friends, your coworkers...and the whole world. He sent Jesus for that purpose. (John 3:16)

I love this next part. He will rejoice over you with joy. When we line up our thoughts and our lives to reflect His ways He rejoices over us with joy. There is great happiness inside God that wells up and He rejoices over His children when they are walking upright before Him. I have an image in my mind of God, our loving Heavenly Father, sitting on the edge of His throne, looking down below, and seeing the ones who struggle and strive but never lose hope, never lose faith in Him and He begins to rejoice. He is happy! It pleases the Father when we obey and do His will. It makes Him glad to see us walking fully in our purpose. He loves us so much and He rejoices over us with joy! He takes great pleasure in us. Isn't that precious? I am holding this scripture so close to my heart this morning.

He will rest in His love. Some translations say He will quiet you with His love. Just as a parent soothes their child with hushed tones and gentle hands, our loving Heavenly Father rushes to us to quiet us with His love. He soothes us. The pain, the torment, the aggravation, the loss... it melts away when we are enveloped in His love. We are soothed and quieted. The storm that rages around us is not as scary in His arms!

Another translation says He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins]. And one other translation says In His love He will no longer rebuke you. Isn't that another beautiful illustration? He loves us so much He will not bring up the things we have done wrong in our past. The things He has already forgiven us for, He forgets. He does not drag up past deeds and sling them in our face. He does not condemn us. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1) He loves us so much He would never condemn us for things He has already forgiven us for.

He will joy over us with singing. So many times God brings a song back to my remembrance and Holy Spirit will sing just a few lines from the song to my heart. It comforts me. It blesses me. It encourages me. I have sang over my children silly little songs when they were young and they would giggle. I can imagine God, our Heavenly Father, leaning into His children, getting so close to our faces, and with great happiness and pleasure singing over us. What a beautiful promise!

I don't know what you're going through. I know life is tough and things get tougher by the minute sometimes. I don't know what big obstacles stand in your way, what giants are hovering over you today, but I hope you will read this verse and find hope and strength. I hope you will breathe in this amazing promise God has given us and rest in it today. Let it lift you up. Let it speak to you. May you read this passage today and see our Heavenly Father in a whole new way.

As you get ready for the weekend, take heart! Be encouraged! I hope that something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Transitions | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried coming up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction. I am going for it and it's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

It's finally the weekend! This week has been a long one and battle after battle in the spiritual realm. This is the last weekend I will have off with my current employer. Starting Monday I will be on the final countdown of my 30 day notice. I begin a new job the following Monday and so I am in a bit of a transition period. It seems our country is in a pivotal moment as well. Many things are shifting and taking place in ways that are new and different and maybe even a little scary but we do not need to be afraid.

God spoke to me in my prayer time and quiet time of listening to His voice. He spoke to me in my spirit and I wrote down what He said. He told me that He was going to give me a job that I did not apply for. I had already experienced Him do that a few years ago and so I knew He would do what He said. I was not sure what I was going to do or where I would work but one day I got a call with a job opportunity, had the chance to interview that same day, and was hired on the spot! They were even willing to wait the 30 days it took for me to give my notice at work. I am looking forward to a new leg of this journey I am on and definitely in need of a change from my current work situation.

The election is the buzz around social circles everywhere. People are blasting one another with their opinions over who is the best candidate and who should be President. I am sad to hear so many people cut each other apart with their political debates, spewing hatred from their lips, appalled that anyone might have a different opinion than theirs. This division and strife does not come from Donald Trump or Joe Biden. These attacks are from satan and he desires to separate family and friends, neighbors and colleagues, and especially the church! We are the body of Christ: brothers and sisters and we must not allow the wiles of the devil to destroy what God has worked so hard to build.

I am praying for unity in the United States of America. We are not the Divided States of America. I am praying that families, churches, politicians, teachers, neighbors, friends, colleagues will come together with the common goal of sharing the message of hope, love, healing, and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ alone. I am praying that we can link arm in arm regardless of who we vote for and push past the pain we are causing each other. It's time to be known as God's children and we can only do that through love!

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind, one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

Luke 6:27-28, 31 (27) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, (28) Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (31) And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Friends, we are in the very end of time. For those who do not have their hearts ready, that may be a hard thing to hear. You may be fearful and reluctant to believe that time is ticking away. The Bible tells us we are like wildflowers here today and gone the next. None of us know when we will be called before God's throne to give an account of our life. None of us know when the trumpet will sound and God will call His people Home. We must not be afraid of that day. To the Christian who has prepared their heart it is a time of jubilee and celebration. Our King is coming and we get to go Home soon!

I am ready to leave this world of trouble and pain and suffering behind. I have many unsaved loved ones: family and friends. I do not want to see them be lost. I am praying for them and for those in my city of Mobile. I desire for God to set this city on fire for His glory and to further the Kingdom. My 13 year old son had been closely watching the election results and was getting concerned about the outcome. He said, "Mom, I think God wants me to tell you this. I think that the devil is just using this election to distract people from doing good things for God. We are all so busy checking our phones and watching for the results of the election that we don't have time to do things for God." Wow! I was so blown away! Yes, out of the mouth of babes! He is so right. God confirmed that in my prayer time but it is easy to see it when we walk in the Spirit and not after the flesh.

Please continue to pray for this nation, pray for President Trump and his family and VP Pence and his family. Pray for Biden and Harris and their families. Pray for the elected officials who have won and will soon serve this great country. Pray we turn our hearts back to God. Pray that we stop tearing each other down and start building one another back up. Pray for healing and unity and justice FOR ALL. We are created in the image of God and He sent Jesus to make us all free. We are free from the slavery of sin and bondage that held us bound and was sentencing us to eternal separation from God. We ALL have a chance to make it if we will strive to enter in to the gate. Straight and narrow is the way and few be there that find it. Make sure you are on that path. God has so many great things in store for His children. Do not grow weary. Do not give up and do not give in. God is is control and He is victorious. Through Jesus we are all more than conquerors and He always causes us to triumph!

God bless you! God bless America, and America, please bless God!

~Bridgett Owens