Terri's Wellspring

A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”  John 6:18-20 

We thank God for His leading in our lives. Making big decisions is never easy but when we need His guidance, He is faithful to direct our path. Sometimes our journey takes us into unchartered waters, outside of our comfort zone and out of our preconceived notions about how things will happen. I imagine that when the disciples were crossing the turbulent waters, they did not think that they would see Jesus walking on top of the waves.   We may be asking ourselves, “Is this you Jesus?” in the middle of the situation that we are facing today. Even though I have not experienced a burning bush or a booming voice from heaven, I believe that God provides tools for direction. I am thankful that we can first ask for guidance in prayer. Then listen for His voice. His voice may be an urging through the Holy Spirit to move in a certain way. We may also experience God-given ideas that support next steps. We may even receive confirmation from the Saints about what the next steps may look like.   One ultimate confirmation is that it should be consistent with God’s Word. He leads us into paths of righteousness and not based on our own level of thinking. When we know it’s Him or the Great I am, we can step out of the boat with confidence and faith remembering to keep our eyes and ears on Him.

Show me the right path, O Lord;

point out the road for me to follow.

Lead me by your truth and teach me,

for you are the God who saves me.

All day long I put my hope in you.    Psalm 25:4-5

Walking in faith requires strength and endurance. While the Lord has been faithful to provide direction along the journey, this season has been full of the unexpected. Much like a winding road, I have encountered curves, twists and even rest stops. The Lord met my need each step of the way. This experience has made me stronger and provided the liberty to move in peace.  I am thankful to God that we can put our hope, our trust and faith in Him. In a place of hope, we can expect God’s best on behalf of His children. A strong trust gives us the confidence and boldness to move when and where He directs. Our faith in God makes our journey possible. My Hope today is that God will do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond all that we can ask or think.

As for God, His way is perfect. The Word of the Lord has stood the test. He is a covering for all who go to Him for a safe place. For Who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock except our God? Psalm 18:30-31

We can walk confidently where the Lord leads us. His leading provides firm footing for our steps. New and expanded territory may be ahead in the distance. We can walk steady with assurance that our God is faithful in each promise of safety, provision and to be with us each step of the way. Unwavering faith and trust in Him allows us to experience His peace and His joy along the journey. The unexpected may arise giving us a choice of fear or faith but His way for us is perfect. His leading for us is perfect. We can walk confidently and look forward to what lies ahead.

Show me the right path, O Lord;

point out the road for me to follow.

Lead me by your truth and teach me,

for you are the God who saves me.

All day long I put my hope in you.     Psalm 25:4-5

Walking in faith requires strength and endurance. While the Lord has been faithful to provide direction along the journey, this season has been full of the unexpected. Much like a winding road, I have encountered curves, twists and even rest stops. The Lord met my need each step of the way. This experience has made me stronger and provided the liberty to move in peace.  I am thankful to God that we can put our hope, our trust and faith in Him. In a place of hope, we can expect God’s best on behalf of His children. A strong trust gives us the confidence and boldness to move when and where He directs. Our faith in God makes our journey possible. My Hope today is that God will do exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond all that we can ask or think.

I love the Lord, because he hears me; 

he listens to my prayers.

He listens to me
every time I call to him.

Psalm 116:1 -2

Our Heavenly Father hears our prayers.  When we seek to talk to God, we can be assured that He is listening.  Whatever we are experiencing…

We can approach Him with thanksgiving in our hearts and share the concerns for our lives and for others.

We can seek His forgiveness when we have sinned and come short of His expectations of us.  He is Faithful and just to forgive us when we ask God for forgiveness and turn from our mistakes.

God is faithful to guide our steps when we don’t know what to do next.

His Holy Spirit is able to provide peace that goes beyond understanding when we need Him to hold our hearts and minds together.

Whatever is on our hearts today, go to the Lord in prayer.  As His children, He hears us.

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.  Luke 18:1

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:6

It takes courage to imagine your life differently.  I believe doing some things routinely over an extended amount of time creates well-worn furrows in our life journey.  Sometimes the grooves are so deep and well-traveled we find it hard to cut another path.  This is true even though you know it is time for change.  I am thankful for God’s faithfulness to us that He loves us just the way we are and finds us where we are and creates the opportunity for moving forward.   The Holy Spirit provides gentle whispers of His true desire for our lives of peace, health and joy.   We thank God for His leading, His provision of strength, His provision of courage to be open to what lies ahead.   Our focus is to hear His voice and take one step at a time knowing that He is faithful to provide direction, protection and provision each step of the way.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out without knowing where he was going.

By faith he lived in the land he had been promised as a stranger. He lived in tents along with Isaac and Jacob, who were coheirs of the same promise.   He was looking forward to a city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.   Hebrews 11:7-10

Living fearlessly would not be the most accurate description of my life.  I have tended to walk lightly taking chances where risks could be calculated and minimized.  On some fronts it has served me well but it has also robbed me of some experiences that only come with “walk on water” faith.  I think about people in the Bible, who were called to do things that way out of their comfort zone.  A young teen named David who faced Goliath.  Moses who experienced a speech problem but spoke out on behalf of God’s people and Esther a Queen who risked it all to save her people.  These may seem like extreme examples or maybe things that would definitely cause us to be out of our zone. But God calls us to live a life that puts our full trust in Him.  Our trust cannot wrapped in our capabilities, our resources or the people we love. It has to be in Him.