Encouragement

Which End of the Boat are You In?

by Rick King 
08/09/16
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Which End of the Boat are You In?

By: Rick L. King

August 9, 2016

Mathew 8:

24  And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

25  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

26  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Have you ever been in a storm in your life and felt like you would perish? Have you felt that there is no way that you can handle anymore? We sometimes forget how the Lord works in us. Jesus learned obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), so if he had to go through the many trials then why would we not have to? He was our example. We cry out for God to remove the storm yet we fail to realize that our reaction to the storm is just as or more important. Jesus' reaction to this storm was that He was at peace and asleep. The disciples reaction was that they were frantic and coming apart at the seams. God is endeavoring to change us so that we will react just as Jesus did. If we are dead as Paul states in Galatians 2:20 then our reaction should be just as it was with Jesus. If it isn't, then it reveals that we are still alive in the flesh and that the Lord is crucifying our flesh. Our flesh is not pleasing to God. He wants us to walk in the Spirit so that Jesus in us is the one that is living. We have to get into the same end of the boat that Jesus is in if we are going to be able to handle and survive the many crisis's that we will face.

Ephesians 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

If we are too quench all the fiery darts and stand no matter what we must get into faith and trust of the Lord. We become strong for His Glory and nothing will be able to move us. Though the struggles may not be enjoyable they are for our good.

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Philippians 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

 God will not allow any more than we can handle. So even though the trials seem tough, rejoice in that God will take you through them and you will come out far better than you were before. Get in the boat at the end where Jesus is and you will be far better off than you ever dreamed. There is a cost to get there, but I am learning that it is worth it all to win Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:

7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

8.  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9. Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

10.  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.