Christ is with you

This is one of three devotionals I'm sharing this week from Sheila Walsh's book Five Minutes with Jesus.  They impacted me this week and I hope God uses them to speak to your hearts as well.  My wife reminded me that God will use it to be something someone needs to hear.   enough of me talking.

Do you ever doubt that God is with you?  

Do you ever look at the amount in your checking account and the pile of bills and wonder if God remembers where you live?  

Do you find yourself in a dark place and wonder if you are lost?  

When we allow circumstances to be the indicator of whether Christ is with us, we may start panicking when the sea starts getting rough.

Mark described an incident like that in chapter four of his gospel.  The disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee with Jesus and, tired from a day of teaching, He fell asleep.  As the sea became rougher and rougher, the men began to panic.  Waking Jesus, they asked Him,  "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?"  (Mark 4:38)  If you look back to verse 35, you will see that they actually missed what Jesus said, which was, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake."  He didn't say "Let's get halfway across and drown."  Jesus knew they would survive the stormy sea.

Sometimes we are just like those disciples, forgetting what we've been promised.  The Christian life is a lot like that boat ride.  Christ has told us where we're going, but sometimes in the midst of the journey we don't feel his presence and we can only see the overwhelming storms.  Paul told his fellow believers, "I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns"  (Philippians 1:6).  He didn't say that he hoped this would happen, or as long as nothing changed in the world it would be the case; he wrote, "I am certain."  This man whose road to salvation involved a blinding encounter with the risen Christ reminds us that God was the one who began working in our lives, and He will be the one to complete that work.  

If life feels a little rough right now, remember Christ's promises and that you are not alone, for He is in the boat with you.

 Don't let a storm keep you from counting on what Jesus has told you.  

As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake."  Mark 4:35

God has said, "I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you."  Hebrews 13:5

"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:20

God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect.  2 Samuel 22:33