Introducing the Walking on Water Podcast!

 

New Podcast!

I recently released my new podcast! You can find The Walking on Water Podcast on Spotify, Apple and other platforms.

Let's get started!

Season 1, Episode 1

I’m excited to begin this journey of sharing hope, humor and encouragement here on Walking on Water.

I chose the name Walking on water because it is a phrase I have loved for a long time.  I even named this, my blog, after it years ago. 

It came about through some dark seasons in my life where I felt like I was drowning in a sea of fear, hurt and the demands of life..  Jesus kept reminding me of the story in Matthew 14 where He invited Peter to walk with Him on water.

I want to read the story to you.  We’ll start in verse 22.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Isn’t that an amazing story?   

If you’re like me and grew up hearing Bible stories - sometimes we lose the awe of the miracle we can find inside the story.  But let’s break this down and look a little deeper.

If you go back and read earlier in this chapter, it tells how Jesus’ cousin and friend, John the Baptist, had just been beheaded.  It’s easy to read this and not stop to consider how this news must have affected Jesus. 

This is His cousin.. His friend.  The other one who was born under miraculous circumstances.  

The two men would have grown up with a unique bond due to the miracles surrounding their births.  And they both knew they had a huge calling on their lives.

Now John’s life had ended…  Think about the emotions that Jesus must have been feeling that day.  The grief, the pain.  I know that personally, I would have wanted to be alone with my thoughts.. But though He tried to take time away, the crowds followed Him.

And even in His grief, Jesus had compassion on them and healed them.  

This gives me comfort to know the heart of Jesus.. That His love and compassion for the brokenness of humanity drove Him to put His own desires aside in order to care for the hurting.

I feel moms everywhere know how He felt in those moments!  When we JUST WANT A MOMENT TO CATCH OUR BREATH… and the crowds of children and people and things press in wanting more of our time and attention.

Jesus put His own needs aside.. But only for a time.. And then He tried again.. This time successfully.  There’s a lesson in that for us.  Take a moment.  Take time for yourself - especially when dealing with hard things.

Jesus didn’t get angry at the people for needing Him.  He wasn’t feeling sorry for Himself and slamming doors and stomping around as He cared for those in need.  He did what needed to be done and then sent them away.

BOUNDARIES ARE OK!  

What does “sending them away” look like for you?

A few months ago, I went away.. I took a week to spend time away from everything and focus on healing and my relationship with the Lord.  I hope to tell more about that at a later date.. But that experience showed me how important it is to set clear boundaries.  To have intentional time to be alone.  Silent.  Shut off the phone… listen.. Write what the Lord speaks over me..  If Jesus needed it, then you and I both know we need it too!

It’s hard to perform the day to day tasks when we are swimming in a sea of pain and grief.

This part of the story can actually be an encouragement to us when we see Jesus having to deal with the hard things we can look and see what He did about it and use that as an example for our own lives.

If Jesus needed to be purposeful and intentional about time alone with the Father, how much more do you and I?

So next - after Jesus has had time alone to pray, He sees the disciples struggling on the lake.  Restored and refreshed from His time alone with the Father, Jesus goes to His disciples -  by walking out across the water.  

Peter sees Him and is freaked out - rightfully so!  

Imagine the chaos - the rocking boat on the stormy waters.. The darkness.. The fear.. And the uncertainty of what they were seeing moving across the waters towards them!

Jesus calls out to them and says, “Don’t be afraid! It’s Me!”

I can just see Peter rubbing at His eyes in disbelief.. But then there in the chaos of the churning waters and darkness and fear, something unexpected wells up inside of Peter.. Unexpected courage causes him to cry out to Jesus.. Peter said, “Jesus, if it’s you, invite me to come to You.”

Can that be the same cry of our hearts today?  

Jesus!!  Invite me to come to You!!

Because, He will!  He’s inviting us daily to come to Him. 

But He didn’t do it alone - no, He invited Peter to join Him.

And He invites us to do the same in our lives today.  

He knows the hurt from yesterday, the demands from today and the fears for tomorrow.. And He invites us to climb out of our place of comfort and assumed safety and join Him above the crashing waves.

He reminds us to keep our eyes on Him and when we intentionally lift our eyes off of our situations, and shift our focus back to Him, it is then where we can experience peace in our heart once again.

It’s like that old song, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus”?  I used to sing that song over my kids when they were babies and the truth of those words took root in my heart and in my mind.

It says

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim 

In the light of His glory and grace

Such simple but profound words.

And what power we have access to - to be able to rise above our hurts, our challenges, our fears… by shifting our attention to Jesus.  To tell Him what we’re facing and receive His perspective on each situation.

It’s something that’s easier said than done.  Even as I am preparing to share this, I’m dealing with a frustrating injustice that has me wanting to go on a rant to anyone who will listen!  You know those moments?  When you find yourself typing and deleting over and over and over again because Holy Spirit says you’re not allowed to say what you REALLY want to say?  

And then you find peace.. Life goes on and SUDDENLY BAM - there it is again.. And if you don’t choose to take your thoughts captive and TELL YOUR MIND WHAT IT’S ALLOWED TO THINK ABOUT, you suddenly find yourself right back in that cycle of stinking thinking..

This too is like Peter. He took His eyes off of Jesus and suddenly he goes from walking by faith and experiencing the supernatural to returning to the common way of living - taking stock of our situations in life and then comparing them to our own abilities, resources and strength.  Which ALMOST ALWAYS comes up short and it leaves us feeling angry, overwhelmed and weak.  

Jesus didn’t leave Peter there in his moment of weakness.  No… this is when Jesus came even closer..  

Isn’t that comforting..

To know that when Peter was being swallowed up there in the chaotic darkness that was his life, Jesus reached out and pulled him back up to safety.

So what does that look like for us today?

The simple answer is to do what Peter did - cried out to Jesus.. Master!  Save me!

Jesus is the end all be all answer that I have found when life is pulling me down into that pit of despair.

At the same time, Jesus has also taught me ways to stay on course.. To train my brain to keep my thoughts centered on Him.

I want to look at that and many other subjects here in this space.

So click that subscribe button and invite a friend to join us as well.

In the coming weeks and months, I hope to encourage women, moms, wives and teens here on Walking on Water.  

You have a purpose.  Your life has value.

And one thing I know - God did not create you to  live a life of fear, depression, anxiety, anger and bitterness..  That is not the life you are called to!

Jesus said, in John 10:10 The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.  I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

Other versions say Life to the full!

This is the life you’re called to.

What does that look like?  A full life?

For each of us, it’s different, but at the heart of it all, we can find supernatural strength, peace and joy when we turn our eyes upon Jesus for each and every moment we face.

It Is Well

It's the stuff from which fears are realized, ‘whys’ are birthed and the deepest of soul pain claws at your throat.

A mother shouldn't have to...  She just shouldn't have to…

She shouldn't have to walk out hospital doors with empty arms and a breaking heart.

Shouldn't have to rouse from a dream where he is still alive and happy and giggling... only to enter the hollow reality that his bed lies untouched.

She shouldn’t have to.

She shouldn’t have to choose what he’ll wear to his funeral.

Shouldn’t have to stand by his coffin holding a handful of Kleenex, unfulfilled plans and not enough memories.

Some question God.  Wondering how an all-knowing, all-loving God could allow such grief to take place?

He could have stopped this!  He could have spared them the pain!  Why didn’t He?

We listed out the the good his parents had done – their love for others… the ministry they’d birthed… the church they’d planted.  We reminded God of the crazy faith they possessed – their outlandish obedience.  Obedience that would scare the mess out of most Christians.  We considered the complete devotion to God… and wonder why?

Why did God allow their son to die?

They didn’t deserve this!

Yet as I watched my friend mourn the loss of her two-year-old son last week, I witnessed a strength that defies all earthly explanations.  

For on a cold day in Michigan, as the winter winds swirled through the headstones and out over an open grave in a small town cemetery, a young mother cried in a church down the street.  Before her, a tiny white coffin held the body of her little boy. 

There at the very point where her greatest loss and deepest fears were realized, this grieving mother rose up and worshipped...and in her worship, God came near.  

There’s a surreal beauty that comes from a heart that’s surrendered. 

Through her pain, Malyn found comfort by choosing to worship the One who had given Camden to her in the first place…this child who needed a family and a home and a name.  She invited the congregation to sing one of Camden's favorite songs with her.

Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see

And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea

Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well

So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name

And it is well

With me.

(Bethel Music)

Malyn's act of release and surrender shook the place, leaving no one untouched.  

And in it we witnessed the power of love – no matter the cost.

You see, loving comes without guarantees.

Love makes us vulnerable to pain.

Brian and Malyn were not promised thousands of tomorrows with their son.  Oh, they hoped for them – likely hadn’t considered the alternative.  What we saw on the day of his adoption was the beginning of a lifetime of happy memories…and really – that’s exactly what they got… even if the lifetime was much shorter than anyone could have imagined.

So the question comes down to this - is love worth the risk?  Worth the possibility of pain?  Worth the price of loss?

Some would lash out at God – blaming Him for not stepping in.  Accusing Him for allowing such tragedy.  But the truth is this - death was never God’s plan.  He never wanted tiny coffins.  Never wanted empty cribs, crying mothers and hurting fathers.  That wasn’t His original design.

On the day sin entered the world, God the Father was the One left with empty arms, broken dreams and unfulfilled plans.  The separation brought Him such grief and He longed for what once was…wanted it so much so that He took a risk and laid all that He had on the line in hopes of winning us back.

The death of His own Son, Jesus, was the price God paid for the chance to love us and call us His own…and He did it knowing there was a possibility we’d turn Him down. 

It was a risk, but He did it anyway. 

Did you know He loves you that much?

Loved you enough to risk it all?  All in the hopes that you would accept the love He has to offer?

He did and He does…and He’ll never stop… because death might separate, but it can’t keep a Father from knowing your name, longing to hold you and loving you still.

The offer stands ready... I hope you will receive it.

Camden David Sneed
June 1, 2013 - January13, 2016

Click here to watch Camden's funeral.   The sermon was preached by Camden's grandpa, Don Smith.

(A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the funeral, medical and adoption expenses for Camden.)

If this story has touched you, please share it with others.  Camden's life impacted us all and we want many to know the love he taught us in just two short years.

Who's Your Rahab?

I've been thinking about giants and Rahabs and wilderness living…

In our walk with God, we yearn for the day when we reach our destination.  Our promised land.  But, yet, I see in the modern church culture the same fear of giants the Israelites experienced.

Our giants look different. 

They resemble giant corporations that spew hatred towards Christianity while promoting acceptance, love and world peace. 

It looks like the church down the street that doesn’t hold the same values as ours…sending us into avoidance, competition, slander and self-destruction.  But, boy, do we all love our Jesus.

Today’s giants are the voices that promote fear, proclaim shame and announce doom.  These voices stir Believers to an action that sends us straight back to the wilderness.

Boycott!

Turn!

Run!

And then there’s Rahab.

Yes, we know the Isrealite's future was in God's hands… but from their side of history, they only knew they had to trust that Rahab hadn't ratted them out. 

Imagine placing your life… your future… your promise from God into the hands of a harlot.

Gasp!

Instead, we refuse to dirty our hands with the least of these.  We tsk, tsk over their shameful way of life and pray our sweet Jesus will come quickly and save us from this old sinful world.

I get it.  Trust me, I get it.

I get tired of giving up my time, my resources, my comfort.  I get nervous about stepping into the land of giants.  I don’t want to hang out with Rahab.  But do we really expect people to live and love like Christ… without having Him in their life?

There’s a promised land on the horizon, and avoiding conflict sends me back to the wilderness…leaving the giants to enjoy my promise… and leaves Rahab without a Redeemer.

What does claiming Jericho look like?

It means trusting God no matter where He leads you.  It means loving the unlovable.   It means praying blessing over those who despise you…something that, admittedly, doesn’t feel good in my mouth. 

But in the end, it changes…it changes me.

Avoidance has been the name of the game too long.  My whole life this has been the Christian mantra – if a business reportedly supported something bad, BOYCOTT! 

We’ll show them!

But stop and think about it.  What are we showing them?  We’re showing them the opposite of who Jesus is.

He came to serve and to love.

He gave unselfishly – even to those who would betray Him.

Imagine shaking off the self-righteous, condescending, pious approach, and instead going inside the walls of your Jericho and finding someone to love… someone who has nothing but a messy, broken life to give in return.

Does refusing to extend love and grace really win them over in the end anyway?  Or is it more about keeping our garments unspotted from the filth of this world.

Truth is, you can live in the wilderness.  You can build a shelter, eat manna and dream of the good things you enjoyed back in Egypt.  Ahh.. the good ole days… when you were… living in bondage… yeah.. those days.

But then there’s Jericho.

The place where God has called you to.  You see, we beg God to show us His will for our lives… but at the first sign of discomfort, we cave.

Yes, there are rivers to cross, giants to face, and you may have to befriend the town harlot.  But if that’s what God uses to get us to our promised land, why would we question Him?

The world has seen what it looks like for the body of Christ to remain on the banks of the Jordan…and they’re laughing.   We’ve showed them what powerless Christianity looks like… maybe it’s time to show them a new kind of Christian. 

The kind that crosses over into the land of giants, loves the unloveable, extends peace, offers hope and lives fearless… because we know that God is ultimately in control.