Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that we are human, fallible, and that our steps will falter at times.  When I read the message, I thought of Peter walking on the water.

If Peter had never taken another step, his life would never have turned out the way it did.  Before his life was over, Peter’s mere shadow falling on someone was powerful enough to heal them.  Then, there was Peter, denying Jesus.  He betrayed the Lord just as much as Judas had.  Judas killed himself…never too another step.  Peter wept; his heart wrenched with the pain of his cowardice and shame.  Then, Peter jumped out of the boat to swim to Jesus on the shore.  He was filled with joy at the Lord’s presence.  What a beautiful moment!  Breakfast with Jesus; I can’t even begin to imagine what that joy bursting within Peter might have felt like…after all that stuff…Wow!  Peter might never have known that joy, had he not taken another step after those faltering steps on the water.

The message is that the 23rd Psalm is so very true.  The Lord does lead us beside still, or peaceful waters.  He does restore our souls.  He does lead us in paths of righteousness.  His rod and his staff do comfort us when our steps falter.  Faltering steps are found in the Valley of the Shadow of Death-especially in the spirit.  The shadow is the temptation to quit, to give up, to curl up, and to end up right back where we started from, or someplace even worse.  Judas is the prime example.  But Jesus is faithful to forgive us when we confess our sins.  His strength is made perfect in, and through our weaknesses – when we allow Him to save us and bring us through.  Remember Peter’s words?  “Lord, save me!”  We can do the same thing, and boldly; because there is now no condemnation in Christ.  We need to take a hint from that.  There should be no self-condemnation in us then, either.  Remember Jesus’ words to all he healed, and to the woman he save from being killed?  “Go in peace.”  Go means take steps; keep heading for your horizon, your goal.  You are on your way to somewhere, because this is not your home.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Copyright by Marina Morrison (aka) Eden Stillwater, September 16, 2019, 1:23 p.m.