"One of the greatest things about the sport of surfing is that you need only three things: your body, a surf-board, and a wave."
- Naima Green, Surfing: Rules, Tips, Strategy, and Safety
One of the greatest things about living by faith is that you need only three things: your Lord, Your faith, and a trial. Without the wave there's no thrill of victory over what could have drowned the surfer and without the trial there's no thrill of victory over what could have buried our faith.
Surfers stand on the safe shore, looking intently for the swelling of the largest waves possible to ride for the longest time possible standing on boards designed to handle the ride. Believers stand on the safe shore holding a feeble faith and looking the other way, hoping the tide doesn't come in unexpectedly to dampen our spirits with problems and challenges.
"The surf that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surf-rider the super -joy of going clean through it." Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
James 1:2-3
The pure joy of the Lord erupts in us when we stand on faith through the wall of doubt and fear overshadowing us maybe even today. The joy hides in riding the wave, not on the safe shore.
"Not to sound too deep or weird, but I think that the times when you really appreciate surfing are the times you're really sort of becoming one with nature. Surfing's as raw of a sport as it gets."- Kelly Slater (champion surfer)
Not to sound too deep or weird, but I think that the times when believers really appreciate living by faith are the times you're really sort of becoming one with God. Living by faith is as raw as it gets. - We build boats and want safety in numbers, but sometimes God says, "Trust Me, get on that little bit of faith you have and discover for yourself, alone, the joy of riding the trial with only Me there to carry you." Nothing would please God more than to hear us yell, "Cowabunga!" while gliding over the very worry we thought would overwhelm us!
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Romans 8:37
Father, You're with us and want to help us not only survive this day but thrive as conquerors. Your Presence equips us for whatever trials swell in our near future. Move us beyond the immaturity of thinking we can avoid problems to the exhilaration of riding with the promise of victory.
In the Name of Jesus, our King Victorious!
Inspired by My Utmost for His Highest and Jesus Calling
photo from photobucket.com
Wow, you've given me a whole different point of view about faith and trials!
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