NEED A LIFEGUARD?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n OURS WALKS ON WATER!<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n <\/p>\n This message was originally posted on July 17, 2017 (and yes- this message does tend to make a re-appearances each summer<\/span><\/em>!).\u00a0 It refers to the account of Jesus walking on the water.<\/p>\n Here’s how Matthew put it:<\/p>\n Matthew 14:24-33<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.\u00a0 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.\u00a0 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”<\/span><\/p>\n 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”\u00a0 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said.<\/span><\/p>\n So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.\u00a0 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.<\/span><\/p>\n 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”<\/span><\/p>\n 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. \u00a0 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.<\/span><\/p>\n Holy Bible, New Living Translation \u00ae, copyright \u00a9 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n All of us run into trouble.\u00a0 Life has a lot of twists and turns, and it keeps running into dark valleys and rough times.\u00a0 Sometimes we just need to cry out “HELP!!!” But what do you do when things get really tough?<\/p>\n The Bible reminds us that we can’t look within.\u00a0 We can’t depend solely on our own strength and “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.”\u00a0 We need to take what we do have and “give it to God”- just like the boy with the five loaves of bread and two small fish (John 8:5-13<\/a>), God uses our efforts, but He’s the one who feeds us or pulls us from the water.<\/p>\n It seems that David was writing about lifeguards when he wrote Psalm 18:16-19:<\/p>\n He reached down from heaven and rescued me;\u00a0 he drew me out of deep waters.<\/span><\/p>\n He rescued me from my powerful enemies,\u00a0 from those who hated me and were too strong for me.<\/span><\/p>\n They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,\u00a0\u00a0 but the Lord supported me.<\/span><\/p>\n He led me to a place of safety;\u00a0 he rescued me because he delights in me.<\/span> An article written\u00a0 by a real-life lifeguard appeared in the July 26, 2017 issue of Our Daily Bread.\u00a0 Click\u00a0Here<\/span><\/a> to check it out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n God promises that HE will supply the strength we need to pull ourselves out of the water.\u00a0 In fact, even if we can’t do any of the pulling, He will save us.\u00a0 Here’s how David put it (Psalm 121<\/a>):<\/p>\n I look up to the mountains\u2014 does my help come from there?<\/span> “My help comes from the Lord- the one who made heaven and earth!!!”<\/p>\n Can you have a better lifeguard than that?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ![\"Signboard](\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Signboard-Lifeguard-15-07-30-_IMG_2302.jpg\")
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nWho’s YOUR Lifeguard?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nHoly Bible, New Living Translation \u00ae, copyright \u00a9 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\nMy help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!<\/span>
\nHoly Bible, New Living Translation \u00ae, copyright \u00a9 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n