Skip to main content

Something from Nothing


                  Many times in my life, I have looked around and thought, “I’ve got nothing!”  No answers.  No direction.  No sense of what to do next.  I am just lost.

                When I have found myself in those places, my reaction has varied.  Sometimes I am mad and ready to fight.  Other times, I want to give up.  That is not uncommon.  In fact, Jesus’ best friends experienced the same range of emotions and feelings of helplessness. 

                One time, they were caught in a vicious storm on the Sea of Galilee and thought they were going to die.  In their fear, they woke Jesus up and started screaming that they were going to drown.  Jesus looked at them and said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:26) and then he calmed the storm.

                I wonder how many times Jesus has looked at me and thought, “Where is your faith?  Why are you reacting that way?  Stop being so afraid!”   Too often I have let my fears determine how I will respond.  I imagine every bad outcome that I can and then panic as if I have no help.  Faith as an idea is easy.  Living out your faith, in real-time when there is trouble all around, is much more difficult.

                In a section where the writer is thinking about the Israelites who did not believe that God could give them the promised land, Hebrews 3:12 says, “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God”.  The unbelieving part was not that they did not believe in God, but that they did not believe he could do anything for them.  They knew he existed.  They just were not convinced that he had the power to help them.

                I do not want to be scared every time something bad happens.  I want to believe and trust.  I want to focus on and know the God who loves and provides for his people.

                There will always be times when we feel like have nothing. 

                The good news is that God has been making something from nothing from the start.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants.  Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do.  Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most.  In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks.  However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like!  Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites.  That is not true.  They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: Thanksgiving in Real Time

                    Thanksgiving weekend means that many of us will spend time together with family and friends, eat a lot of food and think about what we are thankful for in our lives.   Unfortunately, after that, most will go back to their normal routines and leave thankfulness behind.                   What would happen if thanksgiving were part of our everyday life, rather than something we focused on a few times per year?   Where would we even start?                 According to Philippians 1:18-26, the apostle Paul remained joyful and thankful, even while imprisoned for his faith, by holding on to three important practic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Process Produces Progress (1 Peter)

 Dreams are good. Plans and expectations are fine. However, only by focusing on the process do we find progress.   1 Peter 1:13 tells us what to do to get to where we want to go (point 3 is my favourite!)   https://youtu.be/qyGwN_OOmCQ  
Post a Comment
Read more