This design by JoSonja is called "Autumn Winds". I 'tweaked' her design to fit on my oval tray by painting more fruit and flowers on the border. I really enjoy painting her designs and I used the birds and fruit pattern on several accent pieces.
Just A ‘Walkin’ On The Water
Matthew 14:22-33
Recently I taught the story of Jesus walking on the water to my kindergarten Sunday school class. As I studied the lesson, I could see it in my mind. It was a dark stormy night at sea, and the disciples sat in a little fishing boat as lightening streaked through the sky. One of the disciples probably noticed something out in the distance and called to the others. As they watched, they could see Jesus walking toward them on the water.
Now, this must have been an amazing and scary sight; being fishermen they had seen a lot of things at sea and knew that people could not walk on the water. But Jesus came closer and closer, how could this be explained? Picture this, it was a dark stormy night, just right for a scary story, and we usually think of Jesus wearing a white robe. With every flash of lightening his form was probably illuminated on the water. They probably thought it must be a ghost, an apparition of some kind and they were terrified. Storms can be scary, especially when you’re out on the water being tossed about by the waves. The boat might capsize, they could drown; can you imagine how you would feel in a situation like that?
But Jesus knew of their fears, he loved them and did not want them to be terrified, so he called out to them “Don’t be afraid, it’s me, Jesus”. Peter shouted back, “Lord if it really is you, and tell me to come to you”. Peter must have been thinking, "Wow, I want to walk on the water too; I know I would have been thinking along those lines. Jesus, probably smiling, told Peter to come to him.
Now Peter had a choice to make, he could sit in the safety of the boat or he could step out on the angry waves. As the disciples murmured behind him and you know there had to be at least one who was saying, “Don’t do it, you’ll sink and drown”, Peter stepped out in faith. Would you have enough courage to step out on the water? Could you leave the safety of your boat?
Peter took one step, then another; he straightened up and let go of the side of the boat. He was walking on the water. You k now he had to have felt the thrill of a life time. Behind him the others were still probable calling out, “Get back in this boat, what will we tell your mother when you drown?” He was probable listening to them when he begins to look around at the size of the waves. He knew how far they were from the shore and he knew how deep the water was.
He took his eyes off of Jesus and what happened? He started to sink, that’s what! It’s the same with me, when I take my eyes off Jesus and starting looking at other things, or start listening to other people, I get into trouble. Realizing he was probable going to drown, Peter called out to Jesus for help. The bible says immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is just a breath away? He is always waiting for us to call out to him.
The next line, “Oh, ye of little faith” is one used often around our house. Jesus said, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Why did Peter doubt? Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat, but he became discouraged by what his friends said and what he saw around him. He took his eyes off Jesus and that’s when the trouble started! Sometimes we focus more on our problems than on Jesus.
The bible goes on to say when they climbed into the boat, the winds died down. The storm stopped and everyone on the boat fell down and worshiped Jesus, saying,” Truly you are the Son of God.” Whew Wee, don’t you know that there was some kind of praisin’, singin’ and shoutin’ going on in that little boat? I can just see that boat bobbing around out there on the water as they praised God. Their eyes were opened and they knew that Jesus was truly who he said he was. The Son of God was in their midst!
I’m reminded of a story I once heard of a Methodist minister and a Catholic priest who loved to fish. Their friend, a Baptist preacher begged the other two to take him with them to their favorite fishin’ spot and all three set out early one morning. They had rowed the boat to the middle of the lake when the priest remembered that the bait was left sitting on the picnic table. “Don’t worry, I’ll go get it”, he said as he stepped over the side of the boat and walked on the water to the shore. The Baptist preacher was too stunned to say anything. He had just witnessed a miracle, he sat staring as the priest got the bait and walked back to the boat.
His two friends didn’t seem to notice that he sat there slack jawed, dazed, and in a state of shock. A few minutes later the Methodist minister realized that he had left his sun screen in the car. “I need to go get my sun screen”, he said as he hopped over the side of the boat and walked to the shore. When he returned the cuffs of his pants were not even wet.
All at once the Baptist preacher let out with a shout and said that he was going to walk on the water! If a Methodist minister and a Catholic priest could walk on the water, a good ol’ Baptist preacher should be able to do it to! He stepped out of the boat and quickly sank to the bottom. Turning to the priest, the Methodist minister said,” Recon’ we oughta’ tell him where the rocks are?”
Do you know where your rocks are? Or better yet, do you know who your ‘Rock’ is? Jesus is my rock and my salvation says the psalmist David. Like Peter, Jesus keeps me safe when the waves of an angry world come crashing in about me. When I seem to be drowning in my troubles, Jesus lifts me up. I just need to keep my eyes on him and he will see me through.
When life is trying to pull you under, who lifts you up? My prayer today is that you and I will stand on the same 'ROCK'.
Paint each day with God's love,
Frankie
Now, this must have been an amazing and scary sight; being fishermen they had seen a lot of things at sea and knew that people could not walk on the water. But Jesus came closer and closer, how could this be explained? Picture this, it was a dark stormy night, just right for a scary story, and we usually think of Jesus wearing a white robe. With every flash of lightening his form was probably illuminated on the water. They probably thought it must be a ghost, an apparition of some kind and they were terrified. Storms can be scary, especially when you’re out on the water being tossed about by the waves. The boat might capsize, they could drown; can you imagine how you would feel in a situation like that?
But Jesus knew of their fears, he loved them and did not want them to be terrified, so he called out to them “Don’t be afraid, it’s me, Jesus”. Peter shouted back, “Lord if it really is you, and tell me to come to you”. Peter must have been thinking, "Wow, I want to walk on the water too; I know I would have been thinking along those lines. Jesus, probably smiling, told Peter to come to him.
Now Peter had a choice to make, he could sit in the safety of the boat or he could step out on the angry waves. As the disciples murmured behind him and you know there had to be at least one who was saying, “Don’t do it, you’ll sink and drown”, Peter stepped out in faith. Would you have enough courage to step out on the water? Could you leave the safety of your boat?
Peter took one step, then another; he straightened up and let go of the side of the boat. He was walking on the water. You k now he had to have felt the thrill of a life time. Behind him the others were still probable calling out, “Get back in this boat, what will we tell your mother when you drown?” He was probable listening to them when he begins to look around at the size of the waves. He knew how far they were from the shore and he knew how deep the water was.
He took his eyes off of Jesus and what happened? He started to sink, that’s what! It’s the same with me, when I take my eyes off Jesus and starting looking at other things, or start listening to other people, I get into trouble. Realizing he was probable going to drown, Peter called out to Jesus for help. The bible says immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is just a breath away? He is always waiting for us to call out to him.
The next line, “Oh, ye of little faith” is one used often around our house. Jesus said, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Why did Peter doubt? Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat, but he became discouraged by what his friends said and what he saw around him. He took his eyes off Jesus and that’s when the trouble started! Sometimes we focus more on our problems than on Jesus.
The bible goes on to say when they climbed into the boat, the winds died down. The storm stopped and everyone on the boat fell down and worshiped Jesus, saying,” Truly you are the Son of God.” Whew Wee, don’t you know that there was some kind of praisin’, singin’ and shoutin’ going on in that little boat? I can just see that boat bobbing around out there on the water as they praised God. Their eyes were opened and they knew that Jesus was truly who he said he was. The Son of God was in their midst!
I’m reminded of a story I once heard of a Methodist minister and a Catholic priest who loved to fish. Their friend, a Baptist preacher begged the other two to take him with them to their favorite fishin’ spot and all three set out early one morning. They had rowed the boat to the middle of the lake when the priest remembered that the bait was left sitting on the picnic table. “Don’t worry, I’ll go get it”, he said as he stepped over the side of the boat and walked on the water to the shore. The Baptist preacher was too stunned to say anything. He had just witnessed a miracle, he sat staring as the priest got the bait and walked back to the boat.
His two friends didn’t seem to notice that he sat there slack jawed, dazed, and in a state of shock. A few minutes later the Methodist minister realized that he had left his sun screen in the car. “I need to go get my sun screen”, he said as he hopped over the side of the boat and walked to the shore. When he returned the cuffs of his pants were not even wet.
All at once the Baptist preacher let out with a shout and said that he was going to walk on the water! If a Methodist minister and a Catholic priest could walk on the water, a good ol’ Baptist preacher should be able to do it to! He stepped out of the boat and quickly sank to the bottom. Turning to the priest, the Methodist minister said,” Recon’ we oughta’ tell him where the rocks are?”
Do you know where your rocks are? Or better yet, do you know who your ‘Rock’ is? Jesus is my rock and my salvation says the psalmist David. Like Peter, Jesus keeps me safe when the waves of an angry world come crashing in about me. When I seem to be drowning in my troubles, Jesus lifts me up. I just need to keep my eyes on him and he will see me through.
When life is trying to pull you under, who lifts you up? My prayer today is that you and I will stand on the same 'ROCK'.
Paint each day with God's love,
Frankie
No comments:
Post a Comment