BITTER OR SWEET? WHICH DO YOU PREFER?

Meditations of the Heart

By Rob Bailes

Doth a fountain send forth at the same place

sweet water and bitter? James 3:11

In another version this passage is phrased,"Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter?". I call the Word of God the "Living Water" or "True Life" at least ten times a week while in conversation with those seeking for some kind of remedy or hope.

As I read this verse in James last night before retiring, I couldn't help but think about the Living Water that Jesus offered to the lost while here on earth. He was always talking about a fountain that would bring Life without end!

I was camping out in the Blue Ridge Mountains as a young man when I drank from a stream that looked like pure spring water. After all, it was flowing from a beautiful waterfall and there weren't any businesses for miles! Well, it only took about 24 hours to prove me wrong. I'll never forget how sick I got from just a handful of water that had the highly feared bacteria in it.

It is the Abundant Life that our Lord offers that can and will bring us the HOPE we need to survive in this world we live in today! Yes, there are trials and temptations; but we have also been freely given the True Hope that can abound even more than all our troubles.

After the tornados came through the southeastern states, it was strange to me that there were so many large trees laying on the ground. I thought about how many years those trees had grown and should be stronger that the younger tree. As I began to research this further, a gentleman who had spent his life studying science pointed out on interesting fact to me. That very educated man understood what had caused such devastation to such a mature tree. I'll share with you what he told me.

He said, "The tree didn't fall because of the branches or even the wind. It fell because something had ruined the inner core of the roots and trunk which support the branches."

As I went out and looked closely at the trees that were laying on the ground, I could see that the inner part had turned to mush. The trees didn't stand a chance with this condition when a little bit stronger wind came along! Something bad had gotten into it's source and been eating away at the inner core for several years. Then I thought about myself and how I had once been so busy serving the Lord and felt so strong inside, when something little came along and began to eat away at my inner strength, causing the microscopic virus of doubt to take a place in my life. It didn't happen all of a sudden. It was gradual and not even visible from my appearance. Finally when I realized my roots were tapped into a bitter water source, it was impossible for me to change what had happened inside of me. It seemed hopeless! All I could do is cry out to my Lord who offers us the pure, fresh water of Life!

My Lord and Savior came when I called to Him. He had to take me out of the source which was destroying me from the inside out. It's not the easy choice, my friends! You feel the pain as He uproots you and transplants you where the sweet water flows. He also has to do some trimming to get rid of the branches that are bitter so you can begin to produce sweet fruit from this time forward.

And yes! It takes some time for those branches to grow back and the trunk to once again take root deep into the source which gives you Life, so be patient and don't let the bitter enemy trick you into thinking you made a wrong choice. Just remember that it was the bitter water that would have destroyed you sooner or later with just a strong passing wind! Stay put in the Truth daily and grow strong!

³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:3-5

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS

Do the winds of life bring you fear?

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. ~Matthew 14:30

As I was reading the story of Peter walking on the water, I realized something that I had missed for the past fourty-nine years of my life. I had always thought that Peter became afraid because of the waves crashing all around him that night as he climbed out of the boat in responce to Jesus simple request,"Come". As I saw that it was the wind that made Peter afraid, it occurred to me that Jesus had an even bigger lesson for me to learn from this story than ever before. What we can learn from Peter's experience is that we can so easily loose our trust in the Almighty God that we worship and praise when we begin to fear the unknown.

Peter knew not where the boisterous wind came from and he didn't know how it would effect his walk. He was already taking a leap of faith by getting out of the boat! Have you ever gotten out of the boat, so to speak, and found yourself climbing right back in where it is safe and secure only minutes or hours after your feet touched the water. It's not an easy thing to step out into the unknown, unless there is something secure there that we can grab ahold of when we think we're going to fall. Think about this today. Like Peter, we need to be calling out to the Lord in faith with willingness to say,"If it be you, bid me come to you onto the water". It's not easy! But it will amaze you how much your faith will increase when you exercise your trust in your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is there when you feel you are afraid and just as with Peter, He'll immediately catch you if the unknown weakens your faith.

Peter was already afraid of the wind before he ever got out of the boat, I'm sure! As I have continued to step out in the ministry God has called me to do, there are things that I cannot see. I know that they are there and I see the danger if this happens or if that happens. My mind can begin to doubt, even while I am stepping out entirely by faith to do the work that He has called me to do.

We've all experienced fear of the unknown before! You've experienced the boisterous winds even before you stepped a foot out of your boat, your comfort zone.

It could be one of many things that hold us back. I encourage you today to get out of your comfort zone! Get out of your favorite chair; call out and ask the Lord to bid you to come! I can tell you that it won't be long before you'll hear Him calling you to do something you've never done before. It happened to me! I've never been more satisfied and full of joy than when I stepped out of the boat, my comfort zone, to experience a new level of faith; even when the unknown almost blew me away. I called out to the Lord and without a moments hesitation, He reached out and reassured me that he was there in ways that I couldn't have imagined. Of course, the Lord asked me through my conscience,"O you of little faith, why did you doubt?".

In closing, remember that Jesus is there for each and every one of us when we step out by faith; and He will help us when we fear and fall, but that doesn't mean that the storm and the wind will cease!

Let's look at the next two verses to see why I point this out.

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.~Matthew 14:31-32

It wasn't until they were back in the boat! You see, I know that we want the fear and the discomforts to go away as soon as we pray. But the Lord knows what's best for us and what will make us more useful for His service when we make ourselves available to Him.

Are YOU ready to GO? Have you surrendered to the Lord, but have never quite gotten your foot out of the boat?

Maybe you are like me. You've heard His call and you already stepped out of your comfort zone, but you heard those boisterous winds coming your way. Maybe doubt filled your mind, as it did mine, causing you to become afraid.

If so, learn from Peter today and keep calling out to the Lord when you feel this way! But let the Lord take you back to the boat when He is ready!

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. ~ Psalms 46:10