In the boat with Jesus

I wanted to take a minute to try and codify a few thoughts of mine regarding some of my own musings as of late.

It’s amazing how right on time many of our life journeys are dovetailing into a collective expression of gratitude to the one who has purchased us with so great a price!

As I was praying the other morning, I was meditating upon that dreadful, yet glorious day, when our precious Savior willingly gave up the ghost, finalized with the most powerful words ever spoken by a man, “It is finished!” I wept, and even now sense the magnificent impact of that declaration.

I experience hope and consolation from those words because the love of God has been shed abroad in my heart by His Spirit. How can I even begin to probe the depths of such things? It is impossible, there exist no means of measuring by sounding, the depths of God’s love demonstrated through the finality of that sacrificial gift on Calvary.

It’s that divine revelation that truly changes a man. Not fear, not the heavy yoke of the law manifested through hard labor, unbearable demands and an unachievable righteousness in and of myself. No set of doctrines or catechisms can produce it. Jesus said “He who believes in me, out of his innermost belly will flow rivers of living water.”

Yes, it’s true, for many of us, our message has been refined, how? Through the understanding that through thick and thin, success and failure, highs and lows, victory and defeat, HE is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Isn’t it amazing? He loves me just as much as he loves you, or…

I rejoice with so many of my friends who have experienced the effectual power of grace through doing business with God in great waters of trial. I am aware of a renewed level of love and joy in Christ through so many of those same friends. Let him use you, open your mouth wide and he will fill it! Lift up the cup of salvation and be satisfied! Feed his sheep, strengthen and encourage the brethren. Let grace, no, extravagant grace, become your anthem and song!

A friend recently shared a couple of scripture references with me as a point of encouragement. One passage in particular really stood out to me.

Psalm 77:23-30

23They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

24These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.

25For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

26They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.

27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit’s end.

28Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

I then followed up on other various passages from the Psalms, the gospels and The Revelation, I realize that there is something so prophetically relevant about those references he emphasized of the sea, the depths, boats, storms and Jesus being completely at rest. I love how Mark in his gospel account references the fact that Jesus was sleeping on the ‘cushion.’ That stood out to me in light of this poem written by Amy Carmichael, sent to me by this same friend:

THE AGE-LONG MINUTE

Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow,
Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea;
What matter beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee?

Hold us in quiet through the age-long minute
While Thou art silent, and the wind is shrill:
Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, art in it?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?

I hope that my feeble musings are confirmation to those who find themselves in the same boat as me. Likewise, I pray for those whose eyes may still only be upon the tossing waves and pounding wind, look over there, on the cushion, it’s Jesus in full control and at absolute rest. Only now, look up for he is seated at the right hand of the father, having sprinkled the mercy seat with his own blood, is in complete rest making intercession for you and me!