By Okay, so I have a story for y’all.
Last October my family and I went down to Cocoa Beach, FL for vacation. The first day we were on the beach, we must have gone at high tide because man were the waves big and rough. And boy when I got stepped into the waves, that did not go unnoticed.
Every time we saw the waves coming our way we had to brace ourselves, because if not we would be taking a rough ride back to the shore. It sure was rough, but it was also kinda fun!
After about thirty minutes of the waves, I decided to go back to shore. However, in the distance, I saw a big wave coming, so I decided to prepare myself for it so it wouldn’t knock me down as I tried to go back.
As the big wave approached, I thought I had braced myself rather well, but as the wave crashed over me I suddenly realized that it wasn’t enough.
The wave swept me off my feet and I skid back on my butt for a few yards. Not too bad… until the wave got stronger and completely toppled me. My feet went over my head allowing for the wave to slam my head into the bottom of the bottom of the ocean and then scrape across all the sharp seashell fragments that were there.
All of this took place within only a few seconds, but it felt like longer — as if it were happening in slow motion. So many thoughts went through my head as I toppled in the waves
Lord, I pray that I don’t break my neck.
I pray that you would protect me.
I pray that I won’t lose consciousness before I’m able to get out of this.
And
My dad is only a few yards from me. As soon as I’m able to come up, I need to get to him so that another wave doesn’t take me out.
When I came out of the water, there’s no doubt I looked like a sea witch. I mean, I literally screeched and everything. My head felt like a bowling ball on my head so much so that I had to use my hands to hold it up. It was unreal.
But the first thing I did was get to my dad, and he took me safely to shore.
T H E S O L I D F O U N D A T I O N
Have you in your life ever gone through something that you thought was going to drown you? Something that you thought you were never going to be able to make it through or come back from?
That’s how I felt as I took my tumble through the dangerous waves.
A couple of weeks ago I was thinking about this event and the Lord showed me how I could turn it around as something to keep with me, and I want to share this with you today, friend.
Thinking about the event and praying about what all the Lord wanted me to get from it, He brought this scripture to my mind:
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
This is Jesus speaking, y’all. What He’s saying is when you have a relationship with Him and when you follow His teaching and instructions, you are building yourself on a solid foundation. That foundation: Christ Himself. He is the cornerstone.
When you establish yourself on the solid foundation of Christ, though the rain, floodwaters, and wind will threaten to take you out, you won’t collapse because you lean and rely on the God who is stable.
What do I mean?
Each one of us have faced problems and situations in our lives that have been rough. Things we hate going through, and some that we think we may never come back from.
The things you go through, the unfavorable situations, the challenges, the downright nasty circumstances. Maybe it’s issues at work or home. Or maybe it’s more emotional such as depression or anxiety. Or maybe marriage/relationship problems, your kids, temptations, time, or financial struggles. Whatever it may be in your life — past, present, or future — is what I’m talking about.
These things are just like the wave that threatened to take me out. It can knock you off your feet to where you wander if you’ll ever make it through.
I’m here to tell you that if you build yourself on the firm foundation of Christ, He will bring you through.
P R E P A R E
First of all, I want to mention that I had prepared for it the best that I could. In our lives, it’s good to be prepared for situations that may arise. How do you do that when you don’t know that a situation will even arise?
By knowing the Word of God.
The Word of God — The Bible — is our weapon… The Sword of the Spirit. You want to be prepared? Dig into the Word. Let it get down into your being before any situation even arises. You’ll then know what God says over you. How you are victorious and an overcomer (to begin with). Then you won’t have to go searching for the right tools when a problem comes up because you’ll already have the right weapon.
In addition, you could avoid a lot of these problems when you know the Word. A lot of the issues that happen in our lives come from our own choices, but when you know what the Word of God says, you can avoid a lot of those mistakes.
Thoughts, choices, actions, selfish ambition, and sin can get us into these issues a lot, but when we have a close walk with the Lord He can guide us around these self-inflicted problems. So knowing the Word and having a relationship with God can help prepare you for the goings-on in life.
When you know the Word, you can combat whatever the enemy tries to throw at you. The Bible, also known as the Sword of the Spirit, is your weapon to combating those things. Remember, it’s no good to have a weapon but never use it.
C H R I S T H A S A L R E A D Y W O N
Sometimes, though, you do all you can to prepare and you may still find that the enemy is throwing you some hard hits. It hurts and you may feel like you aren’t strong enough or you can’t take any more, but let me let you in on a little secret.
Christ has already won.
That’s right. Christ already won the war. Read the book of Revelation and you can clearly see that. On top of it, God calls us more than conquerors, overcomers, and victorious in HIM.
So if you are a born again, child of God, you have already won the war. You may face these battles and though you get knocked down, get back up knowing that God is on your side and that He will bring you through.
We all go through things in life, but God is on your side. He is your Heavenly Father who will guide you through the waves and bring you out victorious on the other side.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
When the waves and storms come, prepare yourself and know that you are an overcomer in Christ, but most importantly establish yourself on the firm foundation of Christ.
As you navigate through this life, remember that you have a God in Heaven who loves you. He’s our Abba Father who cares for you and wants you to live a victorious life. Cling to Him and let Him lead you through your problems. And just as I ran to my dad for help, God is there with arms wide open to help us and take us safely to shore.
Until next time, my friends.
Caleigh
An adventurer and coffee enthusiast at heart, Caleigh Ball has a passion for reaching out to others to inspire them to live with intention and purpose. As an ordained minister, she spends her time ministering as a youth pastor and is actively involved in Arise Ministries as the vice president and bookkeeper as well as one of the ministers. She enjoys life with her husband, Emmanuel, and their cat, Alaska, in their home state, Almost Heaven West Virginia.
Find Caleigh on Instagram at @caleigh.ball
by leaps and bounds 