Favorite Book Friday May 7,2021
Last week was crazy busy with school and I almost forgot today was Thursday so it’s time to write #favoritebookfriday! Next Friday will be my birthday post instead! Back to the book
So these next four chapters and we’re gonna look at two today are “life is to trust God in every moment.” Chapter 5 is “Yesterday, Today and Forever” so we all get FOMO and wrapped up in what people we know or don’t know are doing on social media. We all think “the grass is greener on the other side” but then it isn’t. We spend a lot of time reflecting on the past and making new memories. We all think about the next big step in life. Let’s take in today, just one step at a time. There’s one thing that’s always consistent and that’s Jesus. Hebrews 13:5 says Jesus is the same, yesterday and forever.
Let’s look at John 11. When is the resurrection of Lazarus. Mary and Martha sent Jesus a letter that Lazarus is sick. By the time Jesus comes, Lazarus has been dead four days. Martha even says to Jesus “if only you had been here sooner, our brother wouldn’t have died.” Then she talks to Jesus about the resurrection on the last day. Martha isn’t thinking of what could happen right now. We often forget God is a God of our current situation and we can trust him in every moment. “Someday” is sexy right? It sounds good.
Jesus makes this statement often “I am” am is a current state of being. He’s in the present, the past and the future. He’s here right now. He’s active right now. God is everything you need. He doesn’t need anyone to sustain him and that changes everything. Jesus is more than enough for your needs. This chapter is where we also see “Jesus wept”. Jesus is moved with compassion. Then he says “roll away the stone”. That doesn’t make sense. Martha doesn’t seem like she believes until she sees Lazarus come out. God doesn’t need our faith, spirituality good works, or permission to move. He’s I Am and he moves when he wants to. God is good and we’ll always be overwhelmed by that idea for eternity. Jesus wants to roll the stone away for you too. God can save you all by himself, he doesn’t need anything from you. He’s here and he loves you.
That’s it for Instagram! Check out the website for chapter 6 of “Life Is__” titled “Pillow Talk”
The intro story is about Judah and his pillows and the particular way he likes them. But the point is one other most powerful stories in the Bible involves a pillow. It’s Mark 4:35-41 Jesus is sound asleep on a pillow in a boat, in the middle of a storm. His disciples wake Jesus up and say “don’t you care we’re gonna drown?”. Jesus gets up and rebukes the wind and waves and says “peace be still” and it stopped. He says “why are you afraid? Where’s your faith?” This message is intentional. Jesus is preaching from a place of rest.
First we have to realize that just because Jesus is in the boat doesn’t mean we don’t go through storms. It also means just because Jesus is in the boat doesn’t mean we won’t get went. Most of us in the storm feel drenched. We don’t have to pretend like we’re not. Jesus isn’t bothered by how we we are, he’s just happy to help you through your storm. The storm isn’t the point, Jesus is the point. The disciples don’t understand why Jesus isn’t freaking out too. Instead he’s taking a nap. He wakes up and tells the storm to stop. His disciples are now in awe of Jesus. They even ask “who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him?” They didn’t at first see was asleep because he had everything under control. Jesus doesn’t leave us alone in the storm yet his disciples are criticizing him because Jesus is stressing like you are. Worry, in fact, isn’t helpful. It takes out focus off of Jesus, the one who can do something about the storm. The only thing that can take the strength of the storm is looking to Jesus because we can’t do it on out own. We can’t promise storms won’t happen because they will. We will get wet for sure. We can promise Jesus is bigger than your storm because he’s with you. The storms, winds and waves will end someday and Jesus will see you to the other side.
See ya next time! In one week I’ll be 19!
Chapter Highlights (Chapter 5-6)
A lot of our fulfillment comes from the simple, underrated ability to live in the moment. We live life best when we live it without regretting the past or fearing the future.
God’s constancy stabilized our inconsistent lives. The fact he is the same, yesterday, right now and got the rest of time means that we can trust God I’m this moment and in every moment
He is a God of current circumstances
Just because God will someday being a final end to death and sin and pain doesn’t mean that life has to stink right now.
God isn’t just a memory from the past or a promise for the future: he’s a real time, present day God
Even though God is infinite, rimless and perfect, he feels our pain. He knows what he is going to do to fix it, but he still weeps with us, mourns with us and suffers with us.
Jesus is telling us that we when storms of life come, we can trust him. We can look at his attitude of peace and find rest for our souls.
But there’s a difference between soaked and sunk. We might be drenched, but not be drowned. We might be wet but our heads are above water. We might be damaged and discouraged and distracted buy the craziness of life but we know who’s in our boat. We’re not going down.
Winds and waves and storms are nothing in comparison to the man who was asleep in their boat.
Through it all, Jesus is asking us to look at him and to focus on him. He is nearby. He is in our boat and he is at peace and at rest because he is greater than the storm.
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