April 20th
Jesus Will Not Let Me Sink
The early months of 1995 have been etched in my mind. What were they? The devastation of a small house we rent in the coastal town of Cayucos, California by flood waters. Seems it was in part due to a plugged and inadequate drain nearby that fed the very small stream that flowed behind our house. (We're talking, like, 25 feet from the house.) Because of this, water was diverted down the street in front of our house. Since the elevation was low on our lot, the water actually "went through the house". It started at one end and went through. Obviously the house was "totaled'.
What made the event so permanent in my mind was the ordeal we went through trying to get our claim settled through the insurance company. Even though we had flood insurance, we were told we were not covered. And even though we had color pictures of the water going through the house the response from the flood insurance company was..."damage not due to a flood".
You can see how totally frustrated we were. At least 2 or 3 times a week I would get up early and call back to the east coast and try to see what was happening. On top of that my tenant sued me for her damages. That blew my mind! If that was not enough, my dear wife came down with a sciatic nerve problem. Almost confined to bed, she went through great pain for a great length of time. On top of that my dad, living in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA became gravely sick.
So what do I do? Answer - take the advice in Nehemiah 8:10
"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."What I did, as I trusted the Lord, was "I laugh in your face". I will not sink in the waters of difficulty, I will surf the waves in faith believing.
Prayer
If, in fact, my friend, you seem to be drowning in some difficulty - trust the Lord with ALL your heart. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on the waves. Peter looked at the circumstances of the storm and water and started sinking. May you keep the steadfast look. In Jesus' name.
Amen