Sunday Evening Ponderings......

I am sitting here totally alone in my house on a chilly windy Sunday evening. All my folks are scattered to the wind...and should be returning in about 2 hours give or take.

I was going to write a post on how wonderful our new little ranch kid is, and he is wonderful. According to his Mama he is sleeping better and getting the feeding down to a fine art. Of which I know that she is very glad. But I hate to say to much as she is the one that needs to update...I can't imagine what is taking her so long. I mean my word it has been a week already. Matter of fact in about 10 minutes he will be a whole week old! WOW! So I have about a million other things making drag races through my brain so I guess I will ramble on.

In Church today the sermon was about endurance. Hebrews 12 verse 1 and 2 to be exact. Considering all that is going on in our world today I think it was very appropriate. Pastor J. brought out how we are called to endure. We must endure..and we can't do it outside of Christ. Without Him we have no hope. None at all. In the course of the sermon he referred to when the disciples were in the storm on the sea. You know the one...where Peter walked on the water. Well we know that Jesus was not in the boat with them...He had gone up on the mountain to pray. But he could see them, and he prayed for them. He never took His eyes off of them. He had them in His care, but they didn't know that at the time. The storm was a bad storm and they rocked back and forth and probably didn't think they were going to make it. And then they looked up and say Him, Jesus, coming to them in the midst of the storm. Notice..in the midst...He didn't make the storm quit, He came in the midst of it. Of course the disciples were all afraid, they didn't know who it was at first. But Jesus spoke to them....."Be of good cheer, It is I do not be afraid." Peter...I like Peter he is bold, he told Jesus that if it was Him to command him, Peter to come to Him on the water. And Jesus said one word....Come. And Peter went, walking on the water to the Lord. Now the story does not end there. And I am glad...because Peter did a bad thing and almost drowned...he became afraid and took his eyes off of Jesus...and began to sink. Sink down into the deep water to his death. But even thought he messed up he realized it and shouted out to the Lord..." Lord save me!" The word then says that Jesus Immediately stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him. 'Oh ye of little faith, why do you doubt?' And when they got into the boat the wind ceased. Matt. 14, 22-36

I love the word of God. Every time I read it I see things I have never seen before, and the Lord brings things to mind that I have never thought of before. I love this picture. It makes me think about the storms of life. We all have them. Some are little, some are medium sized and some are so huge that we are sure that your boat is going to sink and you will drowned before you hit the bottom of the ocean. Things can be going alone great in your life and then wham you are in a storm. You aren't even sure how or when it started, but before you know it your boat is rocking. The waves are getting bigger and bigger and everything seems out of control. But the good news is Jesus is watching and praying. Ever mindful of your storm. He hasn't left us alone to ride it out so to speak....just as He came to the disciples He will come to me. And He won't just wait till the storm quits He will come to me in the " midst" of it. That is love. To stand with someone in the midst of a storm.

We will all have "storms". We will have personal storms. Storms of illness, finances, children in rebellion, death. And as we all know our nation is in a storm. A storm of a very uncertain future. Many are without work. Many are in danger of losing their jobs, homes, etc. Immorality is rampant. More babies will be murdered. Babies will even be created to use for medical experimentation. Stem cell research it is called. Call it what it is. Experimental murder. Storms of evil abound. I think of the Pastor that was shot just this morning in the state of Illinois. Shot in his pulpit. Why? Why would someone do such a thing. I have no idea. I can't wrap my mind around all the evil of this world. But I know this. I know that the Lord promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. His children. That is a promise for His children. Not a promise for the world. All in the world are not His. He loves them. He died for them and He will receive them if they ask and if they believe, then they will have His assurance's, His promises, His care. If they don't....they make a grave mistake. One that cannot be undone. One that will lead to an eternity of torment.

Who is your anchor in the storm? I pray that for all of you it is the Lord, Jesus Christ. The one that took our sin upon himself...a sinless perfect man. And died a horrible death, for what? For you, for me and for the world. Did we deserve it? Hardly. We didn't and still don't and never will deserve His mercy. But He did it out of love. Love and compassion, the word says His mercies are unending. And that is true.

I know that many of you are in a storm. Have courage, do not fear. Seek the Lord while He may be found....Look up, our redemption draweth nigh. Endure, it will all be worth it in the end.

God Bless and Happy Trails
RanchWife