I wonder with closed eyes
The closed minds of people like me
Surely we who are wise can dig past the stereotypes and
Uncover a valuable identity
But we don't...
We're taught to soar like eagles
But live as if we're pigeons
We shrink back as if we're chickens but
The only bird to really describe us is the dodo
We have wings but don't fly and
Soon we will look at extinction
Let's keep it real though
The limit is the sky but
We're far from free
Going off what C.S. Lewis said, "We love our mud pies too much."
You see, our sight sees what's outside
Hence the purpose of our eyes right?
We see as high as our head will take us
Still our feet are firmly on the ground
Imagine with me:
Soar straight into the vast sky
Fly miles high and stare down
Take in the view
For the first time
Imagine seeing life for it is,
That it's not about you.
But go ahead
Show off your great wingspan and
Your beautiful plumage
The attention you crave is as big as your ego
Go ahead
Get fat to the point that your wings cannot lift you to freedom
Oh, if you only knew
If only you could
Change what is in your bird feed,
Remove the lies and
Digest this truth:
Until you can freely soar, you cannot truly see the need.
About Me
- For The Average Christian
- Hey everybody I'm Houth. This blog is mainly a devotional/poetry blog. I honestly hope that it encourages you in your own personal walk with God. If not, thank you for looking at the blog anyway :) Enjoy my poetry and devotionals. May they bless your heart and feel free to let me know if they do. Have a great day!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Storms
As I'm writing this, it is raining outside. How fitting for this message! It honestly reminds me of the fun times I had growing up watching flash floods with my family. In the safety of our back porch we would watch the storm rage on. It was a really cool sight. More importantly we would watch people actually try to drive across the flooded street. It may be terrible to say that we watched and did not do anything to help. I think our mindset was to let those people figure it out or that someone will come along to help them. Eventually we would see a couple of guys walk out during the flood to help push the car to the other side. Awesome. Thank God they got there safely.
I think you can probably figure out where I'm going with this story. It warms our hearts when we see people make it to the other side during or after a storm. We probably enjoy our comfort thanking God that we are watching from a distance. We probably know how to avoid those storms and think, "Those people should have been better prepared. They should have checked the weather and stayed at home or something. What were these idiots thinking?" Yet, when people come out to the other side we say, "Thank God they got there safely! It's truly a miracle that they survived." It's great to hear about those going from "rags to riches" or cinderella/underdog stories. The ability to overcome obstacles and struggles in life adds such worth to life. By that I mean it helps us to not take things for granted and to persevere with the hope of a better tomorrow. we see ourselves as that hero/heroin beating the odds. We see the potential of their rich back story and put ourselves in their shoes. We can relate to them because we have that same potential. Oh, but that slice of humble pie starts crumble when we choose not to see the same potential outside of the story. We each have a purpose and are unique. And yet, we do not accept this truth in our own story. It could very well be that we can't see our destination because we're stuck in our own storm. Things aren't looking beautiful and it's tempting to believe that our identity is the same. The problems and worries in life ring so loud in our minds that we cannot hear gentler whispers of truth in our ear. Maybe, we are in circumstances that are absolutely impossible to overcome. We checked the weather forecast, prepared for the worst and knew the where all the exits were in case of an emergency. And just like that, just when we think that we have a sense of control and can rely on ourselves, that storm occurs. Let's look at Mark 4:35-41 (ESV):
"On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side.' And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'”
Now, there are two thing we should understand moving forward. First, in Mark's account of the gospel, we can trace back and see what has been revealed about Jesus thus far. The disciples know that he is a teacher. They have seen him heal several different kinds of people. So, they know a couple things about Jesus but generally not a whole lot. Jesus does a great job in keeping his identity "hush-hush" until the time was right. They don't equate Jesus as God before He calms the storm. They ask in verse 41, "Who then is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" They know the stories of the creator God. Only He has power to control such things. In the Matthew it says they were "marveled" and in Luke it says they were both "marveled and fearful." In any case, they are absolutely flabbergasted at what had just happened.
Next, we should focus on another part of the back story. Some of these disciples, like Peter, are fishermen by trade. They know what they're doing when it comes to traveling on a boat. They've been through storms before. There are those who were tax collectors, like Matthew, aren't as seasoned as their peers. You have on a boat two different kinds of people. You have the person who won't really know what to do in this type of situation. They are confused and running around with their heads chopped off.
"What's going on?"
"This isn't what I signed up for!"
They're the ones soiling themselves and want to curl up into a ball. There is the other person who is trying to get the oars together. They're trying to keep the sails intact and the boat from tipping over. In any case, this a massive storm that none of them have ever experienced.
Every contingent plan is gone and there are no exits. They are in a state of emergency and run over to Jesus. He's asleep.
"Dude, do you not feel what's going on?! Do you not see what's happening right now?! We're all going to die!"
Our lives get dark and chaotic and we run to God...BUT WE DON'T ASK FOR HELP! We try to manage the anxiety and confusion on our own. We try to keep this sense of control in our lives. We think that God is asleep during our storm and ask Him, "Why are you sleeping?!"
"Don't you see that my world is falling apart?"
"Don't you see that nothing in my life is stable?"
"Don't even care about what's going on right now"
Maybe, God's waiting for us to wake up to the reality that we cannot do this on our own. Maybe he's waiting to see when we can finally stop living life with a need to control things and let him be our Lord and Savior. Maybe, if we can truly be honest with ourselves, we see God more as a genie, made to cater to our wishes. Maybe we made our view of God so small that we run to Him and don't even believe in His power. Let's take it a step further, some of us probably know a lot about God. We know the songs, the hymns, the sermons, the cool phrases and Christian lingo. But when these storms occur, deep in our hearts we must admit that we do not know God. We really don't believe that He is who He says He is. We believe in certain things about God. We identify Him as a great teacher but we don't believe that He is the Prince of Peace. We know about His ability to heal but we don't believe He is Immanuel, God with us. If we knew God intimately, our actions, prayers and worship would reflect our relationship. Why do we have such little to no faith in God? Now, I can understand that not every circumstance is the same. Not everyone has the luxury of living in a free country or in comfort. But there is a great message in this story. May we see that God is truly with us during our most chaotic storms. Even when life seems to be throwing us around like a rag doll may we continue to run after God and seek his peace. May we believe that Jesus is the Lord of any and every storm. May we believe that He is God and that He is able.
The last point I will make in this message is something we can easily overlook. After Jesus calmed the sea and the wind died down, it was still evening. God will give you peace in your heart but it could still be evening. Some of those circumstances may not change right away. However, Jesus was still with the disciples when they continued on their journey. He will surely be with you in every darkness that may surround your life right now. Psalm 23:4 (ESV), "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
May our hearts find peace in God. May we believe that Jesus is exactly who He claims to be. May we seek His face before seeking His hand. May we come to know God and not just a lot of head knowledge about Him. I pray that we can expand our view of God and see that He is bigger than our storms. And even if our circumstances may never change, may God's gracious love change us from the inside out. May we live with a peace that surpasses all understanding and give God control of our lives. Have faith and believe that He is able.
I think you can probably figure out where I'm going with this story. It warms our hearts when we see people make it to the other side during or after a storm. We probably enjoy our comfort thanking God that we are watching from a distance. We probably know how to avoid those storms and think, "Those people should have been better prepared. They should have checked the weather and stayed at home or something. What were these idiots thinking?" Yet, when people come out to the other side we say, "Thank God they got there safely! It's truly a miracle that they survived." It's great to hear about those going from "rags to riches" or cinderella/underdog stories. The ability to overcome obstacles and struggles in life adds such worth to life. By that I mean it helps us to not take things for granted and to persevere with the hope of a better tomorrow. we see ourselves as that hero/heroin beating the odds. We see the potential of their rich back story and put ourselves in their shoes. We can relate to them because we have that same potential. Oh, but that slice of humble pie starts crumble when we choose not to see the same potential outside of the story. We each have a purpose and are unique. And yet, we do not accept this truth in our own story. It could very well be that we can't see our destination because we're stuck in our own storm. Things aren't looking beautiful and it's tempting to believe that our identity is the same. The problems and worries in life ring so loud in our minds that we cannot hear gentler whispers of truth in our ear. Maybe, we are in circumstances that are absolutely impossible to overcome. We checked the weather forecast, prepared for the worst and knew the where all the exits were in case of an emergency. And just like that, just when we think that we have a sense of control and can rely on ourselves, that storm occurs. Let's look at Mark 4:35-41 (ESV):
"On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, 'Let us go across to the other side.' And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Peace! Be still!' And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, 'Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?' And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'”
Now, there are two thing we should understand moving forward. First, in Mark's account of the gospel, we can trace back and see what has been revealed about Jesus thus far. The disciples know that he is a teacher. They have seen him heal several different kinds of people. So, they know a couple things about Jesus but generally not a whole lot. Jesus does a great job in keeping his identity "hush-hush" until the time was right. They don't equate Jesus as God before He calms the storm. They ask in verse 41, "Who then is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" They know the stories of the creator God. Only He has power to control such things. In the Matthew it says they were "marveled" and in Luke it says they were both "marveled and fearful." In any case, they are absolutely flabbergasted at what had just happened.
Next, we should focus on another part of the back story. Some of these disciples, like Peter, are fishermen by trade. They know what they're doing when it comes to traveling on a boat. They've been through storms before. There are those who were tax collectors, like Matthew, aren't as seasoned as their peers. You have on a boat two different kinds of people. You have the person who won't really know what to do in this type of situation. They are confused and running around with their heads chopped off.
"What's going on?"
"This isn't what I signed up for!"
They're the ones soiling themselves and want to curl up into a ball. There is the other person who is trying to get the oars together. They're trying to keep the sails intact and the boat from tipping over. In any case, this a massive storm that none of them have ever experienced.
Every contingent plan is gone and there are no exits. They are in a state of emergency and run over to Jesus. He's asleep.
"Dude, do you not feel what's going on?! Do you not see what's happening right now?! We're all going to die!"
Our lives get dark and chaotic and we run to God...BUT WE DON'T ASK FOR HELP! We try to manage the anxiety and confusion on our own. We try to keep this sense of control in our lives. We think that God is asleep during our storm and ask Him, "Why are you sleeping?!"
"Don't you see that my world is falling apart?"
"Don't you see that nothing in my life is stable?"
"Don't even care about what's going on right now"
Maybe, God's waiting for us to wake up to the reality that we cannot do this on our own. Maybe he's waiting to see when we can finally stop living life with a need to control things and let him be our Lord and Savior. Maybe, if we can truly be honest with ourselves, we see God more as a genie, made to cater to our wishes. Maybe we made our view of God so small that we run to Him and don't even believe in His power. Let's take it a step further, some of us probably know a lot about God. We know the songs, the hymns, the sermons, the cool phrases and Christian lingo. But when these storms occur, deep in our hearts we must admit that we do not know God. We really don't believe that He is who He says He is. We believe in certain things about God. We identify Him as a great teacher but we don't believe that He is the Prince of Peace. We know about His ability to heal but we don't believe He is Immanuel, God with us. If we knew God intimately, our actions, prayers and worship would reflect our relationship. Why do we have such little to no faith in God? Now, I can understand that not every circumstance is the same. Not everyone has the luxury of living in a free country or in comfort. But there is a great message in this story. May we see that God is truly with us during our most chaotic storms. Even when life seems to be throwing us around like a rag doll may we continue to run after God and seek his peace. May we believe that Jesus is the Lord of any and every storm. May we believe that He is God and that He is able.
The last point I will make in this message is something we can easily overlook. After Jesus calmed the sea and the wind died down, it was still evening. God will give you peace in your heart but it could still be evening. Some of those circumstances may not change right away. However, Jesus was still with the disciples when they continued on their journey. He will surely be with you in every darkness that may surround your life right now. Psalm 23:4 (ESV), "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
May our hearts find peace in God. May we believe that Jesus is exactly who He claims to be. May we seek His face before seeking His hand. May we come to know God and not just a lot of head knowledge about Him. I pray that we can expand our view of God and see that He is bigger than our storms. And even if our circumstances may never change, may God's gracious love change us from the inside out. May we live with a peace that surpasses all understanding and give God control of our lives. Have faith and believe that He is able.
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