Catching Waves

Earlier in my life, I had dreams of huge waves whenever things were tough or I was being overwhelmed by life. I would wake up regularly, dealing with experiences in dreams where huge waves had hit me often unexpected and caused damage. I was never killed but it was always frightening. I suppose it could have been like Satan and how he is seen as a roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8. He was not destroying people but just scaring. Just before my wife left and I lost contact with my daughter, I purchased a book of big waves which Leah repaired for me.  I am fascinated by waves but have a fear as well.  I felt it was something God had given to me to encourage me for this season.  Little did I know what was going to happen.

Just recently I have felt that God is using the wave book to encourage me.  It started with the song "Oceans" by Hillsong.  

God was calling me out of the boat and to embrace all that has for me. I had to stop being safe and get out of the boat and trust God.  Then when I lost contact with my family it felt that my life had fallen into a hole and I was not sure of what to do.  Just recently I was talking and praying with good friends when I felt that God has brought it all together. It started with thinking about being caught in a rut. In the freedictionary.com being caught in a rut means "Seemingly trapped or stuck in a mundane, non-changing pattern of life, work, and/or personal behaviour." God was calling me to get out of the rut I was in and He had something better.  What was it? To do this I had to get out of the boat!

Then I had a vision of myself surfing on a huge wave.  

It was so much bigger than me and it would have scared me in the past.  This time, though, the ride was quite exhilarating.  I was travelling at great speed and the big wave, instead of destroying me, was instead causing me to rush forward at great speed.  It was actually a lot of fun.  I had a closer look and saw that the surfboard was running on what was like train tracks.  The train tracks gave the surfboard security. 

The path was pre-set and there was no way I could fall off the board or be injured on the wave while I kept on the tracks.  

When thinking about what this all meant, I was really encouraged.  I was out of the boat, and instead of the waves or the really scary things of life being something that threatened to engulf and destroy me, God was using them to propel me forward at great speed and it was an extremely exciting ride. The rails represented the Word and the Spirit, and as long as I was connected to both, then I would be safe.  The prayers that have been prayed for my family will be answered and God has all things in hand.  I  just need to trust God, stay on the rails and enjoy the ride.

Some things that God is reminding me through this picture:-

1. Peter had faith to get out of the boat.  In Matthew 14:22 we read of Jesus walking on the water and when Peter recognized Jesus he asked Jesus to command him to come out with him to walk on the water.  Jesus did and even though He said "o you of little faith" I think it was because Jesus was proud of him.  Even when Peter looked at the wind and waves and started sinking, Jesus was right there to rescue him.  I know that even if I start sinking, Jesus is right there to help me. I am getting out of the boat, will keep my eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and I will trust Him that I will be able to stand. With Peter, when he started sinking, Jesus was right there. Even when I feel I am starting to sink, Jesus will be right there to lift me up again.

2. Remember the process.  In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat found that three armies were marching on the city and there was no way their army could overcome the enemy.  He gathered together the people to seek the Lord and ask for help.  Then they reminded God of His promises.  After this, the people ask God to judge the nations and help them as they had no chance of defeating the enemy.  The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he said God is saying "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's". 

They were told to just turn up to the battle and God was going to fight for them.  When they rose early and started worship and praise God on the way to battle, the Lord set ambushes against them and they were defeated before Jehoshaphat arrived.  I was reminded of the process to go through and that battle was the Lord's. I had to hand the battle to God and just praise Him and turn up to the battle but He will bring the victory.

After the battle, instead of living in bondage or fear, God used the battle to show the other nations that He was looking after His people and there came a time of great peace as no other nation would fight them after seeing what God did. God can use the battle to bring great outcomes beyond our imagination.

3. God is doing new work.  In Habakkuk 1:5 Habakkuk writes:-

"God is at work and it will be a work that will astound me and all around me of what He does.

God has given me a vision and even though it is taking the time it will come.  In Habakkuk 2 he writes

God has a vision for me and my family and I trust God that it will happen. I just need to trust Him that He will bring it to pass.

4. God Give The Vision To Encourage Us: Over 7 years ago a visitor from South America had dinner with us.  His name was Norberto, and I did not know him but when I picked him up, he said God told him that a man in a pink car would pick me up. Our car was mulberry pink! That had me thinking.  Then after dinner, he said God had told him to share two things with me.  The first was that God was in the process of taking me up three levels.  The second was that he had seen God's desk and all the paperwork for my life had "Approved" stamped on it.  I could be assured that God had approved all He had for my life.

It has been a huge struggle getting out of the boat.  Then, having a huge wave hit me has caused me to work hard to understand who Jesus is and what He has planned to happen. We read in the Bible that God has taken us from the Kingdom of Darkness and we are now citizens of a new kingdom.

God is training me to now not only live as a citizen of His Kingdom but to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. He is showing me that as we become close to Him, He reveals what situations and the world looks like from His eyes. The biggest challenges in His Kingdom can turn into not only the greatest victories but are an encouragement and example for others. Instead of worrying, I am choosing to do what Paul encourages us to do, and that is to walk as sons of God. In Romans 8:14 Paul writes " 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

Be encouraged to not see your situation as something that will destroy you, but an opportunity for God to do something quite amazing. Choose to walk as a son of God, get out of the boat and not allow the wave to engulf you but to ride it on the train tracks which are the Word and the Spirit and have an exhilarating time enjoying what God will do in your situation. The bigger the wave, the greater the ride!

Come big wave surfing with me!! I am starting to get the hang of it!