40 Days of Lint, Day Twenty-Two: Hidden Faults

The budget was tight when my mom and dad first married, so Mom did what she could to stretch the grocery money. Often, we had macaroni and cheese for dinner. My sisters and I, unaware of her reasons, thought it was a great treat, but Dad didn’t. Years later, when they were doing well financially, Dad finally admitted how much he dislikes pasta. We laugh about it now, but Mom felt bad that he had suffered all those years in silence. But at least his silence was because of love.

It’s much worse to shower your love on someone for years, only to find out as they leave the relationship that they didn’t appreciate your efforts. You kept doing what you’d been doing, not because you didn’t care, but like Mom’s Mac-n-cheese, you never knew you were missing the mark. Honest communication, even if it stings at first, is essential to healthy relationships.

I’m so glad we serve a God who wants to know and communicate with us daily. He tells us in the Bible how to please Him. He’s tender with us, yet completely honest, and that’s what He wants from us. However, sometimes we don’t even know we’re keeping things from Him:

Who can discern their own errors?
   Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
   may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
   innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
   be pleasing in your sight,
   LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:12-14, NIV

If we miss the mark in the ways we’re trying to love Him, God doesn’t let resentment toward us build up. And He doesn’t leave in a huff because of faults we never knew we had. Blind to our imperfections, He gently points them out. Little by little He reveals sins, attitudes, and motives that need to go. I’m so glad He doesn’t show us everything at once! Best of all, He empowers us with His own Spirit to make those changes.

It takes trust to let Him remove those things so deeply hidden, more than that - to invite His penetrating gaze. We can only do that when we’re confident He loves us. He is the perfect Lover of our soul whose desire for us is only good.

Lint Removed: Unintentional Sins

Cleaning Process: Ask God to Reveal Them

40 Days of Lint, Day Twenty-One: Caught in Our Own Snare

We knew Vinny as a six foot something, tanned and muscular, Italian man with wild and curly black hair and thick mustache. He had a laugh that swept the room and bright blue eyes that sparkled with mischief. But he wasn’t always full of warmth and laughter.

Jesus Christ made a drastic change in him his very first week as a Christian. “I was driving on the freeway and a guy cut me off. My anger flared, but I wanted to stay in control, so I changed lanes. He had all kinds of room in his lane, but instead he whips in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes to keep from hitting him. Then I snapped! I rode his bumper until I ran him onto the shoulder. Before our cars even stopped I leaped from mine and yanked him out by the shirt. I pushed him up against his car and got right up in his face...”

Then he paused and smiled, his full mustache rising slowly in anticipation. “Then I remembered…I’m a Christian now! Any other time, I would have beaten the guy to a pulp, but now I didn’t know what to do. So I let him go and jabbed my finger in the air instead. 'It’s a good thing I’m a Christian or I woulda beat the ^*%&^amp; out of you !'” I gave his shirt one last jerk and got back in my car and drove off, shaking.” Maybe it wasn’t the purest witness, but for Vinny, it was a big change.

For the first time in years, he didn’t take revenge into his own hands. This is tough even for seasoned Christians. Our sinful nature wants to do unto others as they’ve done to us, and more. Interestingly, the oft quoted Old Testament scripture about “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was actually introducing the concept of mercy, not revenge. Instead of one upping the one who hurt you, God’s Law insisted on punishment equal to the crime. In limiting revenge, God called His people to be different.

Then, giving mankind time to learn that even equal vengeance doesn’t bring peace, Jesus came along with a final command - to pray for our enemies, bless those who curse, and leave revenge up to God. The whole concept shocks us just as much now and it did two thousand years ago. We want to see the other guy suffer, even if only in our dreams. But God says we’ll never be free until we release our grip on revenge; it will destroy us if we don’t.

The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
   their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
The LORD is known by his acts of justice;
   the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

Psalm 9:15-16

We might be able to hide bitterness in our pocket …for a while. It’s possible to plot and scheme in our thought life while speaking love and forgiveness. But the desire to get even is an especially tenacious kind of lint and it won’t go away on its own. It can only be removed when we allow God to turn us inside out and wash it in His love. And not just once, but whenever new resentments collect in those hard to reach pockets.    

Lint Removed: Desire for Revenge
Cleaning Process: Leave Vengeance to God
 

40 Days of Lint, Day Twenty: Who’s the Leader?

History is full of stories of men and women who have stabbed, poisoned, married, or lied their way to the throne. Many were willing to deceive and kill their own family members in order to reign. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who ran from the throne legitimately theirs. Fear, political disdain, and selfish interests kept them from stepping up to take the scepter.

King Saul began as one of the latter, but ended his reign on the far end of the former camp. Until Saul was anointed king, Israel had not had a human ruler. God ruled His people through prophets and judges. But in Samuel’s old age, the people began to beg for a king so they could be “like all the other nations.” They badgered Samuel until God relented, but not without a warning of how their kings would take advantage of them. They wanted one anyway. So Saul was chosen.

Even though he was tall and handsome, Saul lacked self-confidence in the beginning. Even after Samuel anointed him and Saul received the gift of prophecy, he was still afraid to take the helm. At the inauguration ceremony, everyone stood around waiting to applaud their new king, but Saul had disappeared. 

“So they inquired further of the LORD, ‘Has the man come here yet?’
"And the LORD said, ‘Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies’” (1 Samuel 10:22).

What a crazy turn of events! While men from other nations would murder for a chance to be king, God’s chosen king is hiding in a pile of luggage! I can’t say I blame him. I think that’s where I’d be. Who would want the responsibility of being the first ruler of God’s people after all His stern warnings?

What happened later, though, is far worse; Saul started to believe he was the glory of Israel. After a great start, leading the Israelites to victory in battle things began to unravel. Samuel didn’t show up to pray for his men when he was supposed to, and they started to melt away in fear. In a panic, Saul decided to serve, not only as king, but as priest, and began to offer sacrifices – a strictly forbidden action.

He went from being small in his own eyes, to a cocky king who let feelings dictate his actions. He became so proud, that he later set up a monument to himself for people to admire. His pride cost him the kingship. God wanted a man after His own heart on the throne. Saul failed, but his successor, David, earned that title from God’s lips.

It’s hard to stay in balance. We’re called to be humble, but God can’t use us if we’re so insecure about our qualifications or experience that we hide from positions of leadership. We’re called to be confident in ministry. However, God can’t use us if we operate on feelings rather than truth, go our own way, or rationalize to cover our disobedience. The only way we can be of use to God is to accept the assignment He gives us and let Him do it through us.

Saul’s story convicts me because I’ve fallen into the same traps he did, and more. Sometimes I don’t want the assignments He puts before me, and other times I take things into my own hands without consulting Him. Whatever’s hidden in the lint-filled pockets of our heart will eventually be revealed. Thankfully, when we blow it, God will forgive us when we ask, and give us a new assignment for His kingdom. When we’re determined to let Him rule He can do great things through us.  He is the One and only King.

Lint Removed: Hiding From or Taking Over God’s Assignment
Cleaning Process: Let God Rule the Throne

40 Days of Lint, Day Nineteen: While You Were Sleeping

A lot can happen while you’re sleeping. In the movie by that name, Sandra Bullock falls in love with her previous heartthrob’s brother while he is asleep in a coma. Even though he previously had no clue of her affection for him, his family convinces him they should marry. But by the time he sees what a terrific girl she is, it’s too late.

A couple years ago something happened to us while we were sleeping. Someone came and stole thousands of dollars worth of tools out of our work trailer. When the crew showed up, they discovered the broken lock and alerted Kelly. There was a lot of angry stomping around the house that morning! For the next week every time one of them went to grab a tool and found it missing, they boiled all over again.

What would happen, however, if someone stole your most precious possession and you didn’t notice it was missing? What if you woke up and your husband, wife, or kids had been kidnapped, yet you went about your business oblivious of the fact that they were gone? People might question just how much they meant to you in the first place. That’s what happened to Samson:

“With such nagging [Delilah] prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. So he told her everything. ‘No razor has ever been used on my head,’ he said, ‘because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.’
"When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, ‘Come back once more; he has told me everything.’ So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.
"Then she called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’

"He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had left him.

"Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison” (Judges 16:16-21, author’s emphasis).
 
While Samson was sleeping, his enemies stole the most precious thing he possessed – the empowering presence of God. He didn’t lose it in that one little nap, though; he’d been giving it away for some time. Samson gloried in his gift of superhuman strength. His long hair symbolized that he had been dedicated to God since birth, but his life did not demonstrate the same dedication. He valued God’s blessing so little that he gave away his secret to a Philistine prostitute. When God left him completely, he didn’t even miss Him.

This can happen to us as well. Several times throughout the Bible we’re told to “wake up.”  Wake up and get to work while we still can (Romans 13:11). Wake up and let Christ shine His light in our lives (Ephesians 5:14). Wake up and revive our dying faith, because Jesus will come like a thief in the night (Revelation 3:2-4).

How can we stay awake? One extremely important step is to set up an alarm system. After our robbery we installed an alarm system. That way if someone comes to steal again, we’ll be alerted to the danger. Making ourselves accountable to godly friends is a great way to keep from falling asleep spiritually. When the enemy tries to sneak up on us, they can sound the alert. Delilah didn’t do this for Samson because she was the enemy! Samson was foolish enough to take naps at her house. She wore him down with nagging then lulled him to sleep while his enemies hid nearby to pounce on him.

Like Samson, we may think what we do in private is hidden, but the truth always comes out in the end. Better to share our struggles with a faithful friend who will alert us to danger, not a worldly influence that will lull us into spiritual slumber. It’s a rude awakening to suddenly realize we’ve pushed God away bit by bit and we’re in enemy hands. The happy ending to Samson’s story is that he cried out and God strengthened him one more time before his death. How much good could he have done in his life, however, if he hadn’t fallen asleep in the first place?

Lint Removed: Sleeping on the Job

Cleaning Process: Protect Your Source of Strength

40 Days of Lint, Day Eighteen: Seize the Cheese

 Part Three: Pocket Lint (What is Hidden)

Welcome to Part Three of the “40 Days of Lint” series. In this section we’ll probe the areas of our lives that, to most, remain hidden. Like pocket lint, no one knows it’s there except us - and the One who knows our every thought and intent, even before we do. We don’t have to fear His knowledge of us, since Jesus went to such great lengths to release us from the power of hidden sin. I pray His continued blessings and freedom on your life as we seek God’s complete cleansing on our way to Easter.

Day Eighteen: Seize the Cheese

What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho Cheese. And why would we want someone else’s cheese? It’s called envy and it’s been around since before the Garden. It began with Lucifer. It wasn’t enough to be part of the host of heaven, he wanted God’s cheese - He wanted to be God (Isa. 14:12-15). So he rebelled and took a third of the angels with him. His constant occupation ever since has been to take and destroy what does not rightly belong to him – God’s glory and the worship of men.

His first success was in the garden when he convinced Adam and Eve to take what was not theirs. He suggested God was withholding something they needed; they realized too late that stolen fruit is not sweeter. Ever since, we have struggled with envy; yearning for cheese that is not ours.

The progression is always the same. Something catches our eye, and we stop to admire it. Next, comes the longing. We want it; we want it badly. Whether it’s a sports car, a person, a sweater, or a candy bar, our life suddenly seems empty without it. Unless we’re willing to walk away from temptation, we will eventually find a way to get that cheese and make it our own. Achan admitted that’s what took him down:

“It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done: When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath” (Joshua 7:20-21).

It was the privilege of the victor in those times, to plunder the enemy’s camp. But in this case, God had instructed His people to leave the spoils as an offering to Him. It was a test. When Achan stole what was forbidden, he not only took what belonged to God, but caused trouble for his people. Because of his sin, many lives were lost.

It’s the same with us; when we steal from God, we bring harm to others as well. Often, what we hide is less tangible than robes and coins. We forget our lives are not our own, and act as if we can do as we please with the treasure at our fingertips. Time, money, energy, attention, worship, and love are just a few examples of the cheese we seize for ourselves, to use for our own glory.

These forty days before Easter gives us time for self-examination. It’s an opportunity to empty our pockets before the Lord. He already knows what's hidden there; this is purely for our benefit. Once we admit our sin to Him, He can release us from its bondage. There’s enormous freedom in honesty and confession, but none in stolen goods. We can’t enjoy what’s not ours.

We serve a generous God who loves to bless us in every way. If we don’t have all the ‘cheese’ we want it might be a test to see if we truly love Him. Or, He knows it wouldn’t be good for us right now. (Too much cheese can cause constipation.)

Our society doesn’t make it easy for us to resist temptation. Advertisers work hard to feed our natural greed. It takes daily effort to hold our hands open before God  - to give and receive from Him, and to be grateful for all His blessings.  

Lint Removed: Stealing

Cleaning Process: Give God What is His

40 Days of Lint, Day Seventeen: River of Life

A few years ago I toured Italy for nine days with my husband. Sadly, I almost didn’t go because I was horribly sick with a respiratory infection. My daughters had come down with it first, and days before my departure, I succumbed. My parents nervously left me at the airport, tanked with antibiotics and cough medicine. Drugged out of my head, I don’t know how I made it from one connection to the next.

But I arrived safely, and my husband met me with excitement and a sack of Swiss truffles. He was ready to see the sights together. I revived somewhat for our evening in Venice, and after a good night’s sleep I began to feel somewhat human - then I brushed my teeth. Without even thinking I followed brushing by gulping down a full glass of tap water. Thirty minutes later I alternated between groaning on the bed and running to the bathroom. For the rest of the trip, no matter what I did, I was plagued by nausea, fatigue, and a wheezing cough. If only I’d steered clear of the water!

There’s one foreign country where we won’t have to worry about that:

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2).

Smack dab in the middle of heaven is the River of Life - clear, invigorating, and healing. When we get there, we’ll have so much to explore, so many things to do. I can imagine walking along the banks of this river, munching on the fruit-of-the-month. I like the sound of a warm climate and year round harvest, with fruit so satisfying we can’t even imagine. Even the leaves are healthful! There will be no more bugs, disease, or unsafe drinking water.

Even though we haven’t “crossed the pond” yet, we can get a taste of that River now. Jesus told the woman who came to the well, “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). Our living water is Jesus.

There’s no other source that will satisfy our thirst like He does. How do we ‘drink’ Jesus? The best source is the Bible; we can fill up daily and drink freely. Jesus also satisfies our thirst through His people when we encourage each other’s faith. Finally, we can drink from the spring within our own heart as we listen to the Holy Spirit and walk in Him. The power of this water is enough to make our journey to heaven enjoyable and overflow to quench the thirst of other thirsty souls.

Lint Removed: Drinking from the Wrong Source

Cleaning Process: Drink from the River of Life

40 Days of Lint, Day Sixteen: Jesus in the Middle

Grief comes in waves. When someone we love dies, we lose our job, our spouse rejects us, or we suffer tragedy, pain is all-encompassing. It’s normal to ricochet back and forth in the five stages of grief: denial, blame, guilt, anger, and acceptance. I experienced them all after my divorce. The pain was worse than death, because it didn’t end. In my anguish I cried out repeatedly, “Why, why doesn’t my husband love me anymore?” I knew God wasn’t to blame. Even in my sorrow, I knew God grieved with me.

Yet, there have been other times when I have blamed God for pain and suffering. Even hanging from a cross of my own making, I have yelled at God for not saving me from the pain. Whenever grief or hardships appear, whatever the cause, the choices are the same. We can either look to Christ for help and comfort, or rail at Him in anger.

On the cross, Jesus hung between two thieves who faced that same decision.
“They crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle” (John 19:18).

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’

"But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’

"Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

"Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise’ ” (Luke 23:39-43).

Jesus came in the flesh to experience our pain and show us God’s heart for mankind. He didn’t answer the thief who hurled insults at Him, while demanding relief from his pain. He knew this man had no faith. Instead, He turned to the one who admitted his own sinfulness, and sought a relationship with God.

Next to Jesus’ perfection, we’re all sinners in need of His forgiveness. When we suffer – because of our own sins, someone else’s choices, or because we live in a fallen world – the answer is always to look to the cross in the middle. He came to be with us in our pain, our grief, and in every tragedy that strikes. When we do, like the thief who turned to Jesus, He assures us we will be with Him, both now and for eternity.  I pray that today, whatever pain you bear, you will freely give it to Jesus and let Him love you.

Lint Removed: Blame for Circumstances

Cleaning Process: Look to Jesus in Times of Pain

40 Days of Lint, Day Fifteen: In the Courtyard of Denial

She used to boast how impressed everyone was that she could go to parties and not drink or do drugs. “I’m showing them I can have fun without doing what they do,” she said. “I can be a witness by hanging out with people like Jesus did.”

I tried to point out that when Jesus showed up at a party everything changed. People were drawn to Him and hungered to hear His stories about God’s love. They realized they were sinners and wanted to know how they could be forgiven. Jesus didn’t blend in; He stood out. That’s where we so often make our mistake – we want to fit in.

Peter was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and loved Him dearly. Yet on the very same day he vowed he would die for Christ, Peter ended up denying he even knew Him.

“…seizing [Jesus], they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was with him.’

"But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don’t know him,’ he said…

"The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:54-57, 61-62).

Concerned for his Master’s welfare, Peter followed at a distance. However, out of self-preservation, he tried to blend in. Pretty soon the night chill forced him closer to the fire. Soon, he warmed himself by the fire in the middle of the courtyard with the others. Exactly what happens to us in our desire for acceptance.

My young friend who boasted about her witness at parties is now an alcoholic, floundering in the misery of an addiction she brought on herself. The passionate faith she once claimed has cooled to being “religious.” Her lifestyle denies the One she vowed to love and cherish. She avoids Jesus’ loving look, who longs for her to repent and enjoy intimacy with Him once again. I pray daily that she will return to her Lord and Savior as Peter did.

What about you? Have you been following Jesus at a distance, fearing what might happen if you get too close? Do you find yourself sitting mutely at the fire while others mock Jesus and His message? If so, it’s time to run. Seek His forgiveness. He’s looking at you now to draw you back. He will welcome you with love and make you new by His Spirit.

That’s what happened to Peter. He went from denying he even knew Jesus, to preaching a powerful sermon where 3,000 people got saved (See Acts 2)! What made the difference? At the fire, Peter was trying to follow Jesus in his own strength, and fear took him down. But after the resurrection he was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit that enabled him to be bold about his faith. We can be His witnesses, but not with our own strength.

Lint Removed: Warming by the Enemy Fire

Cleaning Process: Be Filled With the Spirit

40 Days of Lint, Day Fourteen: True Friends, True Healing

We hadn’t been home long from our swim at the Y when my daughter started to put her towel back in the cupboard. “Oh wow, did you wash it already?” I asked.

 “No, it’s okay though, I dried it.”

 “Um, I don’t think so,” I said, grabbing it from her. “Just because it’s dry doesn’t mean it’s clean. Now it has dry chlorine, dirt, and dead skin on it.”

 She wrinkled her nose, “Ew, that’s gross!”

 “Sorry, but I only want clean towels in the cupboard,” I said, tossing it in the hamper.

Jesus got a worse reaction from the leaders of His day when He pointed out the need for true cleansing:

 “Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’

"The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, ‘Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’

 "Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, ‘Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’

"Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God” (Luke 5:18-25).

 There must have been quite a stir when they cut a hole in the roof and lowered their friend from the ceiling like a spider on an unseen thread. The Pharisees and teachers hated Jesus’ response. They wanted to see a show, but Jesus was more concerned about the deepest need of the paralytic. I think it’s fascinating that when Jesus saw the faith of this man’s friends, He forgave the man. They had faith that He could heal their friend physically as well as spiritually.

 The Pharisees and teachers fumed at Jesus’ audacity. How could a mere man claim to speak for God? Jesus read their minds, another miracle, and answered them in front of the crowd by asking them, “What’s harder, to forgive sin or heal a man physically?”

Seems like a toss up to me. Only God can do either one. Of course healing is more of a show stopper. You can’t see the effects of a clean heart right away. We’re more drawn to the spectacular. So, to prove He can do both, Jesus healed his body as well. He fixed the source as well as the symptoms of his paralyzed state.

 The man picked up his mat and left praising God. I wonder which miracle meant the most to him – that his heart was clean, or that the consequences of his sin were revoked. In the years to come, when he was tempted to go back to his old way of life, did his friends remind him of this life-changing encounter with Jesus?

God has blessed me with friends who carry me to Jesus when I’m too paralyzed to get there myself. Sometimes I think I need relief from the consequences of my sin, when what I really need is a clean heart. They place me before Jesus in prayer and let Him do the work. As a true friend, I want to do the same for them. Repentance may not look fancy from the outside, but that’s where healing begins, front and center with Jesus.

Lint Removed: Paralyzing Sin

Cleaning Process: The Healing of Forgiveness

40 Days of Lint, Day Thirteen: Mistaken Identity

Last summer I rescued a terrified bird entangled in the net covering our strawberry plants. Even though I didn’t want him eating our berries, I hated to see him trapped. From the look of terror on his face and his wildly racing heart, he must have thought I was going to devour him on the spot. He didn’t recognize me as the one who filled the bird feeders only a few feet away. He didn’t know Kelly and I delight in their antics as they gobble up the seed.

The disciples made a similar mistake when they saw Jesus walking by their boat across the lake. I admit it must have been disturbing. It had been quite a day. Jesus had fed 5,000 men, plus women and children from nothing but five loaves and two fish. Afterward, He stayed behind to say goodbye to the people and spend some much needed time in prayer. Jesus sent the disciples ahead saying, “I’ll meet you in Bethsaida.”

They were tired, it was night; they were in the middle of the lake rowing against the wind. Who wouldn’t freak out to see somebody walking past the boat on the water? But the disciples were wrong about who it was.

“… they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:47-52, see also Matthew 14).

First of all, the disciples were afraid because they thought Jesus was a ghost. He was doing something they’d never seen a person do. They assumed He was there to harm them, just like the bird in my yard. Sometimes I make the same mistake when Jesus comes to my rescue in a way I don’t expect. Especially when I’m in the middle of a crisis.When He appears unexpectedly I panic.

Secondly, they were amazed because their hearts were hard. They had just witnessed a miraculous food-fest. Jesus had empowered the disciples to drive out demons, heal people, and preach the Good News! And yet when the Lord over demons, sickness, sin, and hunger walked on the water to calm their storm, they were shocked.

I can’t fault them. Even though I’ve seen God drive the enemy out, heal people, bring joyful repentance, and feed the hungry, I’m still amazed when He shows up in an unexpected way. I still lack understanding, and my heart is still hardened.

This year, as Easter draws near, I want to be expectant and aware of the many ways Jesus comes to my rescue – whether in a child’s antics, a sermon, a song, a verse, or on the ocean waves. How wonderful that instead of lecturing His disciples for their fear, Jesus’ first words to them were, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” His words to us are still the same. Praise God for His patient love!

Lint Removed: A Hard Heart

Cleaning Process: Recognizing Jesus as Lord of All