Swales are known to overcome boats in the oceans. We think about swales why would a swale be important for our lives? Storms in the ocean are often caused by winds that blow or come up because of atmospheric changes occurring or by weather changes in the atmosphere. I am by no means a mythologist, I’m a theologian, but from what I know which isn’t much these swales can just happen. What storm are you facing today? Yeshua calmed the storms and He can calm the storms you are faced with today!
Luke 8:22-25, "(A) 22Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake." And they launched out. 23But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25But He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, "Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!" "
Why is this story so important to our lives? Many of us are as the disciples. We have walked with the Lord so long that perhaps we have forgotten His Work in our lives. We have forgotten the victory that we once had, or the feelings we once experienced had with the Lord. We speak of faith in terms of past but the Lord speaks of them by asking us a question as He did to the disciples, "Where is your faith?
Many of us are afraid that we will be exposed for what we truly are. Many of us are living behind years of built up facades and at some point or another; fear has gripped us but that fear isn’t the plans that God has for you. He is absolutely in control, because even as the Apostles fully admitted, "He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!" " He can calm the storm in your life and bring peace to you, but the question is are you willing to walk through the storm that you are facing right now. Are you willing to truly take responsibility for the swales that seemingly threaten to overtake your boat or your life?
We often want a comfortable Lord who will comfort us, but when we come to think of Him in terms of not answering our prayers right away, or bringing the miracle we want we right away many right away think He is a bad Lord. How dare we! He is the King of Kings from everlasting to everlasting He was. A day in His courts is as a thousand years in His eyes. How can we as finite beings question who He is and then expect Him to answer our prayers?
Abraham laughed at God in his conversations with the Lord and God responded by telling Abraham to name his son Isaac which means laughter in Hebrew. Genesis 17:17-19 says, "17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!" 19Then God said: "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. "
Lexicon Results for Yitschaq (Strong’s 03327) Hebrew for 03327
Pronunciation Guide
Yitschaq {yits-khawk’}
TWOT Reference
Root Word
TWOT - 1905b
from 06711
Part of Speech
n pr m
Outline of Biblical Usage
Isaac = "he laughs"
1) son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau
Abraham laughed at God but his son Isaac then came to mean laughter. God can take our emotions as well as our actions, but we have to take responsibility for our actions. God has a sense of humor but we have to be willing to accept the consequences for what we say to Him. He has our best in mind. The story of Isaac shows us that God can take it when we throw our worst at Him or even our best, for He has big shoulders. We can run and depend upon God because He will not forsake us when we need Him the most or even when we feel we don’t need Him at all. He will always be there but not necessarily answer how, where, or when we want.
He is still speaking to our hearts today. He promised that He would speak to us in John 14:25"These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." Its time for us to open our hearts to the reality that the world’s greatest libraries could not hold all the Truth that He has, because He has words that not even the whole of the Canon of Scripture. Certainly though the Words of Scripture are the measure by which we are to discern the Words that He speaks into our hearts. This is why we have to study His Word to be able to discern what words we are receiving into our hearts and thus into our Spirit self. The Lord longs to speak words to us, but the problem is that many of us aren’t willing to receive what He has to say. Yet, also the reality is that He has more to speak than what is already written down. This just shows us that God is still speaking to us today. John 21: 25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. "
Swales may be confronting you in your life’s journey today, but what are you going to do today. Will you run and hide behind a list of things to do at your office, your personal life, or professional life? Will you hide behind the things rather than confront the problems that you have? Our society is fast paced but the Lord is patient and kind. He longs to speak to you today, but will you take the time to examine where you are today? He longs to speak to you today, so take some time to spend with Him. Discover that He has good intentions for you and towards you. His intentions for you are to help you to grow in Him, so that you can in turn share others with others. His intentions are for your joy and development in the inward man so that you can share Him at work i or wherever you are with others. Come into His arms today and let Him speak deep words of reconciliation and mercy to you.
Jeremiah 29:11, "11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 17:
7"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear[b] when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit."
Proverbs 3:5-7, "5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct[a] your paths. 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. "
2nd Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. "
Colossians 2:15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. "
Phillippians 4:6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Psalm 46:10Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.Selah "
Joshua 1:5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
He has words to speak to you today. Are you going to let fear rule you or peace move you? Today decide that fear will no longer rule you, because His peace is inside of you if you have believed the report of the Lord. He came to set you free; free through His blood. Come into His arms today and let the problems you are facing be stilled. Come to Him and let the rivers of everlasting water stream forth from your heart. He knows the deepest objections in your heart, but His offer stands. Come to Him and let the hurts, pains and everything be held in the palm of His hands.
John 4:10, "10Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, "Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
John 7:37On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing[g] in Him would receive; for the Holy[h] Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
Come today and discover the joy of experiencing everlasting living waters streaming from from your heart. Come running into His arms today, and let your life become a living representation of what He came to do in you. He came so that you could represent His name. Don’t let your past hinder you today, come to Him by confessing in your heart and with your mouth by believing in your heart that He died and rose again, and ascended to the right hand of the Father.
Come to Him today and discover what everlasting living waters streaming forth from your life will do in your life. It will change your life and the lives of those around you. Come and feast at His table, because this is His invitation for you.
John 14, "22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. 25"These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28You have heard Me say to you, "I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said,[e] "I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. 29"And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here."
Arise today and walk with Yeshua. Come to Him and let your heart become inflamed in the passions of His personhood. He has good intentions towards you. Won’t you come and run right into His arms?
Pastor David Jenkins
