The Wind and the Waves

February 17

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then

he … rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

Matthew 8:26

The sky was pregnant with rain. In the next instant, it pounded on the metal

roof of the ground floor room of the lighthouse. He was uneasy. Watching as

the waves buffeted the side of the building, he sensed this was going to be a

bad storm.

The salt spray beat against the windows as the wind whipped the waves

into whitecaps. Though he was on dry land in a lighthouse that had stood the

test of time, he was afraid.

It was then he noticed the smallish captain of a sixty-foot fishing vessel

preparing to leave port. He ventured, “Aren’t those waves too big for your ship?

I mean, isn’t it too dangerous to leave just now?!”

The captain took a sip of his coffee and said in the calmest of voices, “Son,

those swells aren’t much. By the time we pass the break wall, they’ll be thirty

footers.” There was a gleam in his eyes that made the man wonder if he’d taken

leave of his senses. “I’ve faced much rougher weather at sea; we’ll be just fine.”

The perfect picture of peace with a calmness about him, the captain finished his

coffee, nodded at the man, and headed for his ship.

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Jesus was sleeping right up until the disciples, in fear for their lives, awakened

him. He rebuked the winds and the waves, and then he rebuked them. “Why

are you so afraid?” Can you hear them? “What? Are you crazy? Look at the

situation we’re in!” Seasoned fishermen are used to rough weather. So this was

one bad storm.

In an instant, the storm subsides. Awestruck, they asked, “Who is this man

that even the wind and waves obey him?” They were to discover that peace is

not dependant upon circumstances, but upon Whom our faith rests. Like the

captain in today’s story, they knew the One who calms the storm in each of us

and tells the wind and the waves, “Be still.”

Prayer

“Please still the storm in my soul, Lord. Help me weather

this battle; help me trust that You will never allow me to

drown under the burdens of life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Honesty or Salary?

February 16

Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or

quantity. Use honest scales, and honest weights.

Leviticus 19:35, 36

Three months on the job and he’d just had his salary doubled! It was the most

exciting position Mike had ever had. But he was in a quandary because he felt

the company was using questionable business practices known as job shopping.

Though widely accepted in the industry, Mike considered the practice dis-

honest. 

Once the company was awarded the bid on a job Mike had submit-

ted, they would ask him to call all the suppliers they had used to compile the

bid and ask them to give him a lower price on the materials or they would

find someone else to provide the product they needed at a lower price, hence,

maximizing the company’s profit. 

Mike, in an act many viewed as bordering on lunacy, told his boss that unless the company stopped the practice, he would no longer be able to work for them.

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God set a standard to live by. He expects us to act accordingly. When we

compromise principals or ethics in any way, we sacrifice part of our integrity.

Done frequently enough, we become desensitized to what we are doing. “It’s

not really so bad,” we tell ourselves to alleviate guilt and conviction. If left

unchecked, it spills over into every part of our lives.

Mike knew he would someday stand before God and give an account of

his actions. He knew there was no answer that could excuse being dishonest to

justify a large salary. We want others to treat us fairly. We teach others about

who we are by our adherence to our integrity. In Mike’s case, the company

refused to change business practices, and so he chose to leave. We may never

be faced with a decision as big as Mike’s, but when we are faced with unethical

issues, we must make a choice. Honesty or deceit? Which will it be?

Prayer

“I am tempted to look the other way sometimes,

Lord. Help me witness truth when I am confronted

with unethical issues. Help others to see the affect

You have on my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Call

February 15

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?

And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am. Send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

He was fourteen when God called him the first time. It was through a won-

derful woman he’d known for years. Although deaf, she served God faithfully.

She asked if she could share something she felt God wanted him to know. “I

guess so,” the boy tentatively answered. Holding his face in her hands, looking

directly into his eyes, she said, “God told me that you would be a great minister

for Him some day!” Not really understanding, he answered, “Okay.” And that,

as they say, was the end of that.

Over the years, the call was replaced by other desires, yet a sense of longing

plagued him. Still, he continued to resist. He knew what the call was—God’s

invitation to be in relationship with Him in a way that would make him whole-

hearted. He couldn’t tell you why, but he was afraid of the call. But as a patient

Father does, God waited. The man finally answered the call and in that answer

found a joy and contentment that fulfilled the longing in his heart.

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Isaiah’s relationship with God was so close that he overheard God asking for

someone to go. In those close relationships, we are conscious of God’s voice.

We overhear Him speaking in our presence, asking us to go for Him. We

can be so uncertain and fearful that we want God to call us by name, saying,

“John, please do this for me.” God rarely calls us that way. His hope is that we

would be in a close enough relationship with Him that when we hear Him say,

“Whom shall I send?” we answer, “Here I am, send me.”

Everyone’s call is different; for one it’s a helping hand to someone in need,

to another it’s giving someone a ride to the store. It is not to be feared, but

embraced. All are called. Sadly, few answer.

Prayer

“I get afraid when I hear You speak, Lord. I don’t know why;

I just do. Help me walk through the fear. Help me understand

that by serving others I serve You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Guard Their Hearts

February 14

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4:23

As she crossed the threshold, her senses came alive. It took a moment for the

scent of apples and cinnamon to register. Then came the aroma of garlic, lemon

pepper, and onions. She was smiling as she set her purse on the stand by the

door.

Her husband appeared and took her jacket. “What are you up to?” she

asked with a question in her eyes. “Your table is ready, madam,” he teased with

a mischievous wink and escorted her into the dining room. He’d used their

best china in a table setting for two. Long stemmed roses woven into a twist-

ing candelabra created a beautiful centerpiece. The plates were adorned with

linen napkins arranged in the shape of hearts. The lights were low with a dozen

candles burning here and there and rose petals scattered on the table. He had

gone to great lengths to let her know how special she was. Aware that he had

spent the better part of the afternoon in preparation, the sensation of being

loved and adored flooded her heart.

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Proverbs instructs us to guard our hearts, for from it we live! If not well pro-

vided for, it loses the capacity to engage. Our hearts must be healthy and whole

to relate to the world the way we’re supposed to.

We were created for relationships. In them, we learn how to treat one

another. In marriage, we learn what it means to give of ourselves, to become

selfless, and to display our love for each other. We are given charge to guard not

only our heart, but the hearts of those we love. Their hearts, and therefore their

ability to love and live in covenant, is given over to us to care for and nurture.

When we place their needs ahead of our own, showing them we intend to

guard their hearts, we are filled with wonder and completeness.

Prayer

“Help us understand that Your mandate to “guard our

hearts” does not give us license to care only for our

own. Lord, teach us to love in a way that others may

benefit from our actions. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Chimneys of Life

February 13

 

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away … and

where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:16, 17

Dave knew what the thump from the basement was. So getting out of his chair,

he grabbed his gloves from the coat rack and headed downstairs. An old brick

chimney rose from the cellar up through the middle of the house, allowing the

gas furnace to be vented.

During the coldest months, birds would swoop into the chimney, warming

themselves in the updraft. Occasionally one ventured too far, and unable to fly

out, it would drop into the furnace where it could become trapped and die. The

fortunate ones made it through the vent pipe into the basement, escaping an

immediate death sentence, but remaining trapped.

Trapped by means of deception, they would fly against the basement win-

dow, believing it to be a way of escape. The very thing that appeared to bring

gratification brought entrapment and sometimes death. Dave, knowing they

would die without his intervention, would go into the basement and catch

them, cradling them in his hands until he set them free outdoors. To not do so

would impose a death sentence.

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Starved for love and security, we swoop into the chimneys of life, seeking life-

giving warmth and protection, never realizing that to venture too far traps us,

and we are unable to find our way out alone. We are deceived! Without inter-

vention, we may die in these traps.

But God, in His infinite mercy and grace, reaches into the chimney, offer-

ing to set us free. He desires to remove the veil Satan has placed over our

spiritual eyes and heart, keeping us captive. God urges us to turn to Him. He

wants to cradle us in His hands, bringing us out of captivity and setting us free

in the Spirit. God speaks to our hearts, saying, “See the chimney for what it is;

take hold of My hand. I want to exchange the death sentence for eternal life.”

Prayer

“I sometimes end up in places I’m not supposed

to be, Lord. Psalm 139 says no matter where I go,

You will hold me fast. Hold me, Lord. Don’t let

me go. Set me free. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Boundaries

February 12

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed

is he who keeps the law.

Proverbs 29:18

Paula looked in her rearview mirror to see red and blue flashing lights; the siren

wailed as the cruiser gained on her. Pulling over and rolling down the window,

she waited on the officer. He shined his flashlight on her as he bent over and

asked for her license and registration, asking, “Do you know how fast you were

going, ma’am?” 

Paula explained, “The dash lights just went out as I came over the hill back there, so I’m not really sure. Somewhere around twenty-five miles per hour, officer.” She wasn’t lying; her dash lights really had failed. It was almost 5:00 a.m., and she was on her way to work. 

Figuring she’d get away with a warning, she was angry when the officer came back with a ticket. “I can’t believe you’d write me a ticket when my dash lights failed on me at 5:00 a.m.!”

To which he replied, “You were doing thirty-five miles per hour in a twenty-five mile-per-hour zone, ma’am. And this happens to be the time of

day I work.”

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Boundaries are limits placed upon mankind to avoid anarchy and assure every-

one’s safety. Boundaries are guidelines that teach us how we are to act and treat

each other. They are as old as the foundations of the earth. The universe is full

of them, both physical and spiritual.

Satan is also limited by boundaries. He tries to cross them and gain

entrance into our lives, sometimes subtly, sometimes in frontal attacks. We, as

believers in the power of God, must exercise our authority in Christ to main-

tain those boundaries. We enforce Satan’s boundaries by resisting temptation

and speaking truth from the Word, by standing firm in the knowledge of God.

It’s up to us to contend for our freedom from the enemy by entering the battle.

By seeking God’s will for our lives, we’re halfway there.

Prayer

“Help me stay within the boundaries You set for my life,

Lord. I understand that when the enemy comes in temptation,

I must put up barriers to keep him from leading me into

destructive behaviors. Speak to me through Your Word,

circumstances, and others. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”