January 1963: frozen North Sea!
I grew up on the Belgium coast, on the body of water that serves as a natural
border between Belgium and Great Britain, my beloved North Sea. The weather
where I lived is generally much milder than where I now live, especially in the
winter time! However there was one winter of my childhood that I will never
forget…
It was 1963, and I was just four years old. Western Europe was severely hit that
January by more than twenty-five air frosts (This occurs when the temperature of
air goes below 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit), making it the
coldest winter since 1740. Extremely frigid temperatures were recorded, and then
the unthinkable happened: the coast of the North Sea froze! I can still remember
standing on the dyke and looking out over mile after mile of frozen waves. No
water was visible anywhere! I was tempted to go out on the frozen water and walk
on it. I wasn't allowed to do so, however. After all, I was only 4 years old!
Although it was seriously cold that January, the beauty of the frozen sea had me
mesmerized. There is beauty even in harsh weather conditions!
Peter also had the opportunity to walk on water. His water, however, was not
frozen! In fact, the lake on which his small boat found itself was experiencing
heavy and tumultuous winds. Miraculously, Jesus appeared from one corner of the
lake, and beyond the possible, ignoring the ravaging storm, he walked on the
water.
Naturally, Peter was tempted to walk on the water as well, and when invited to
do so, he couldn't decline. And he succeeded! He walked on water! Until he took
his eyes off of Jesus, that is, and began concentrating on the swells instead!
And when he did, he started to sink: "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid
and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" (Matt 14:30 NIV)
The beautiful thing is, Jesus reached out and saved him, even though it was
Peter's own fault that he found himself in trouble.
Peter discovered beauty in storms that day. But only as long as he kept his eyes
on his Master!
We are experiencing heavy, frigid winds in our world right now. They are
affecting our economy, our housing, our means of living. Inflation, as well as
unemployment, are on the rise. Desperation is hitting an all time high, as well
as sleeplessness and anxiety. May I encourage us not to focus our attention on
the frigid circumstances around us. Instead, let us turn our eyes on our Lord
and Saviour. When we are able to center our concentration on Him, we will notice
beauty, even amidst our turmoil. That's when the peace of God that surpasses any
understanding will fill our inner selves. Beyond a doubt, we will realize that
we are not alone out there. We are not at the mercy of the elements. Jesus is
there, right next to us, holding us tenderly in His arms, crying with our pain.
He will lead us to solid ground and will continue to sustain us.
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matt 19:26
NIV)
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7 NIV)
Our economic and political waters might be quite troubled these days, but with
God on our side we will rise up victorious! We will end up walking on our
problems! All we have to do is to fix our eyes on the Master and discover His
beauty!
"Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study
how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that
exhilarating finish in and with God - he could put up with anything along the
way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right
alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that
story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That
will shoot adrenaline into your souls!" (Heb 12:2-3 The Message)
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.