I'll Catch You - Encouragement Café - July 6, 2015
I’ll Catch You
Café Menu for Monday, July 6, 2015
Today’s Special is: Jumping In
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Paris Renae
Main Ingredient:
And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.
1 Peter 5:10 NIV
Entrée:
Today may be messy, filled with… heartaches, anger, fear, anxiety…
Have you ever watched a toddler at the pool, standing a few feet back from the edge, shaking their heads ‘no’ at the coaxing father saying ‘Jump, Johnny, I’ll catch you.’ After much coaxing and bribing they get up to the edge, eyes big, shivering no matter the heat outside.
Looking out at what looks like a vast ocean to them, and back to their dad – and finally… they jump. Daddy catches them, takes them to the side, and sets them on the deck again. Round they come, less hesitant this time – and less hesitant each time as they have learned… daddy will catch me.
I don’t like the scary stuff, none of us do. In this broken world, I hate to break it to you, but it’s going to keep coming. The job loss - the financial ruin; the cancer verdict - the awful treatments; the car accident - the tragic death. The ISIS threat, earthquakes, tornadoes, riots in the streets…
Sometimes I fear the unknown, or not yet happened things – sometimes my fear is because I’m in the midst of the known. With God there is no unknown; and the known, He’s in charge of that. Hillsong’s beautiful piece called "Oceans", starts off with this line ‘You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown, where feet may fail’.
In this world, Jesus told us we will have trouble – but God is there, standing in the big pool, reminding us ‘Jump, I’ll catch you’ – we’ll get wet, it may be scary, but each time, like the toddler, we will begin to fear…less. Hillsong, a few lines later says: ‘feet may fail and fear surrounds me, You’ve never failed and you won’t start now’…
The world’s messes and those of our own creating will knock us down and make us cower, but they can’t overcome us because He will never fail and in the end we will stand in His embrace – forevermore…
Take Out:
Dear friend, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 was written for us. Join me? Go to His Word now, read what He’s written for your soul… Moment by moment we will need to draw on His strength, the here and now will constantly drain us of ours, but His strength is without end. Fix your eyes on WHO has you, not on the ocean threatening to overcome you…
Dessert:
Father, sometimes we doubt our faith when we find ourselves once again in the grip of fear. In this world we will face many fears, but You have overcome this world. May Your peace descend upon us whatever the situation. Let us feel that quiet calm in the midst of the conflict, Your loving arms and Your still small voice proclaiming ‘She is mine.’ Teach us moment by moment to remember that the battle is already won, and at just the right time we will find ourselves in Your forever with no more tears… In Jesus’ powerful Name, Amen
© 2015 by Paris Renae. All rights reserved.
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