February 20, 2006
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People. Comforable where they are. Comforable with the situations that they are in. I can honestly say that I don’t fully understand why some people don’t understand that there are people desperately in need. People are so comfortable doing the daily routines, doing the regular traditions…afraid to step outside of all that they have known and are used to.
People can think about what they will do…they can think about how they can help….when they will do something…but do they actually do it?
Oh God, I want to be one who puts their words into actions. I don’t want to spend all of my time talking about things…and not doing anything about it.
The other night, as I prayed, I was brought to the story of Peter walking on water. Jesus had called Peter to follow Him on the water. Peter was afraid. He was afraid to walk out of the boat. To take a step of faith. Once he did, he cried out for Jesus to save him before he drowned. “you of little faith” …Jesus told him and took hold of Peter.
Sometimes I find myself like Peter, afraid to actually walk out of the boat…and once I do, I’m afraid of falling. All the more, I know that Jesus is reaching out…He will catch me…He will be there to hold me up.
After Peter walked on water, the disciples and others knew that Jesus really was the Son of the living God. When people see that Jesus is leading us, His people; when people see that we are taking a step of faith no matter the cost; then they will know that we are following a King unlike any other.
A King full of glory, of passion, and of majesty.
Jesus, be my strength. My Love. My Everything. I am humbled to be your servant.
Put my words into actions. As You lead, be magnified and glorified.
“Trust Me, child…”
{ Let Jesus be your strength, today. }
Comments (27)
Get out on the water… let nothing hold you back… HE is faithful… live without regret…
Until we fall in love with Jesus, we will never leave our comfort zones…I pray each day that I will become more passionate about my Savior than the day before! A beautiful and challenging post, dear one…With much love and mnay prayers, Paula
aw. thanks!
i have a header site if you want to check it out.
http://www.xanga.com/bnic3
your xanga is so encouraging!
i love it!
God bless you!
Amen
What a beautiful post…
Lord, let us be passionate worshippers that honestly seek after Your heart, that will pursue You and love You relentlessly, no matter the cost… let us be doers more than sayers, and let us magnify Your glory in all we do…
God bless you today
oh arielle… i know what you mean: “I want to be one who puts their words into actions.” just want to be like Jesus more and more and….
I love your xanga..its encouraging
Do you take all of your pictures?
They’re beautiful.
In Christ
Amanda
Trust is never easy. There is always the potential when you trust to get hurt. BUT without trust there is no real intimacy with God.
Amen. Good post Arielle.
Larry
Is this MY daughter posting this? Wow, beautiful, Arielle! God is good. He is sovereign. He has blessed me with you. Don’t ever settle for mediocrity or comfortableness. May Jesus keep you to Himself for always! Love you, M.
I love it! Wow how beautiful is that picture and that story has been speaking to me lately. Have you read’ If you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat’? It’s by John Ortberg and is brilliant. Not sure why I’m telling you that! Blessings!
blessings back at you. : ) thanks for the inspirations!
Those are good questions, but I can honestly admit that I have experienced the battle of remaining in the comforts of life verses stepping out in the unknown by faith. Sometimes I experience that passion you’re experiencing now, feeling as if God could send me anywhere if He willed. But then one day, unexpectedly, I look around me and think that staying where I am isn’t so bad. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s simply the battle between the flesh and the spirit. I’m not sure. But I know both sides. Still excited about your upcoming trip. Pray for me as… my trips to Belarus and/or Ukraine are very tentative. I find at this point that it’s hard to not be discouraged. I thought I knew what direction God was taking me in, and now I’m not sure.
I love your post. I fight complacency and apathy so much. I want to love Him, know Him, and follow Him no holes barred. And I love the song you have playing. May the Lord bless you. Please continue to post-we need this! Love–Cindy
Hi Arielle! I LOVE that picture . . .the simplicity of faith of a child, no questioning about where we are going, no arguing, just trust, may we become more like children, looking to Him, honouring Him, prefering Him above all else, content just to hold His Hand and walk where He leads. I imagine the conversation . . .
Grace, peace and much love to you! Lois
Hi Arielle,
That is a pic of me and my uncle (who’s only a year older than I am) when I was about 7. We were in my back yard playing football–I had on my favorite boots:)–when my mom stepped out of the trailor we lived in and had us stand together to take our picture. I’m the one with the football.
I enjoy reading your site by the way.
In Christ,
Jeremy Hulsey
arielle-
those pictures make me cry. gorgeous. i love asia.
to Him be eternal praise-
lydia
Faith without works is dead! Amen!
Ah, I shall leave for you the same notion that came to mind as did when I read my Aunt Suzanne’s Xanga (where I found your link). I’ve know some atheists, agnostics, deists, and “philosophers” that have a very good memorization of the Bible–however, their understanding of it from the Christian perspective is entirely skewed. True memorization of scripture is application. As you said, to be a doer. Memorization of scripture has proven useless to an atheist, and in fact, will only be used as evidence to condemn him or her.
James 2:26:
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
It’s a progress, and we have all been alotted faith. I am convinced their is a sermon to teach a person they need to do more, a sermon that can teach enough is being doin, and even a sermon to teach to do less. Where are you? The desire to know is in you, therefore, if it truly is you’re, doing, just fine.
Thinking of you and praying for you this day…You are such a special young lady and I love you! Paula
I don’t know that I have the confidence to make my hobby of photography an actual job that I’d get paid for. I like journalism, but I don’t know that I could do photo journalism. For example, when I told someone about the accident at the cemetery, they asked me if I took pictures of it. The first thing I did was put my camera in my car because I didn’t want to disrespect someone’s tragedy by taking pictures of it. I don’t know if there’s different departments of photo journalism, but I couldn’t take pictures of tragic things for money. But people keep asking me to take pictures for them as a favor, so right now it’s my ministry. [smile]
I don’t watch TV either. Technically, we don’t get any channels, but my parents bought some antennas that snag a few basic channels. I’ve never taken interest in the Olympics either, but I was curious this year and got hooked. I think it’s more of my love for the whole world and all the different cultures represented that is the motive behind watching the Olympics. America never really takes a real interest in the rest of world except something like the Olympics.
Oh, and yes, that’s LaRue playing on my xanga. Wow, you got to see them in concert? That’s cool. I will say that I got to see, ummm… I forgot the girl’s name, in my friend’s wedding a few years ago. I think she was the Maid of Honor. When I saw her I thought, “That looks a lot like the girl in LaRue.” I come to find out she was. My friend, Bobby, met this girl from Tennessee, and she was best friends with the girl in LaRue. I guess both her and her brother were there, but I didn’t see her brother.
My friend, good words! Continue on focusing on the Savior. Though the storms may rage around you, He will breathe calmness even into the strongests of storms. He is our peace, our passion, and our joy!
Great post. I think some are learning to trust Him everyday. Knowing we need to trust in Him to do something, makes it more real I believe. Daily I need his help and guidance with these little foster children. Some days I feel as if I’m Peter, sinking in that water. Turning back would be easier, but it’s not the will of our Father, He wasn us to go towards Him in TRUST. And not sink in failure.
Blessings, Monique
He honors every trust we have in Him, no matter how small. In His tenderness, He will not overwhelm us with challenges too great for us. I think part of the problem is that people do not understand this. They do not know Him as He is.
An interesting aspect of this story is that Peter always concentrated on Jesus,
I personally think that Peter did not even know he was getting out the boat.
I think something difficult is not always difficult
From someone who has failed in this issue time and time again.
One step as the saying is the first step in a long journey or as Pslaty who say
one step at a time.
What you are saying is so true
Dom
::soo good. We need Jesus so much::
Blessings to you, Ariel.