Sip Saturday

Week #27 Hebrews 2:13

**Sip Saturday is written by our Saturday morning contributor, M.H. Elrich. A beautifully gifted Christian author who seeks to honor the Trinity in her writing. She hopes that her words will encourage women to draw closer to God, whether that is through her fantasy series or her weekly devotionals.

Cornerstone Scripture:

And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”

And again,

“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

-Hebrews 2:13 ESV

Imagine you are in a boat. Fog swirls around you, making it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of your face. You and your friends are trying to paddle to shore, but you can’t even tell where the shore is or how long it will take to get there. Waves crash against your boat, spraying salty water in your face. Desperate and covered in sweat, you’re about to give up when you see a figure in the distance.

The figure is like a beacon of light on the water. Goosebumps pimple on your skin, and you hear one of your friends cry out.

“It’s a ghost!”

You shiver, wondering if Death himself has come for you and your friends. Cringing, everyone huddles to the back of the boat and waits as the figure comes forward.

“Do not be afraid!” the voice calls out. “It is I!”

The voice sounds like a familiar friend. You call out, “If it is you, tell me to come out on the water!”

It’s a rash, insane plea, but it’s answered by an affirmative.

“Come!”

You don’t know why, but you step out onto the water and walk over it like it’s dry land. The waves still toss around you, but you’re looking into your friend’s eyes with absolute trust. Suddenly, the insanity of what’s happening occurs to you, and you begin to slip underwater.

“Help!” you cry.

Your friend takes your hand and pulls you up. “Why did you doubt?”

You both get into the boat and the waves cease. As soon as they do, you’re at the shore.

In case you haven’t figured it out, my fictionalized version of Jesus walking on water is what I’ve narrated above. You can read the whole story in Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52, and John 6:16-21. I decided to retell this passage because this is related to today’s verses from the book of Hebrews.

The author of Hebrews is emphasizing how Jesus and those who follow him must put their trust in God the Father. As children of the most high, we are called to trust Him above all. Even though this is simple in principle, in application, it can be difficult.

Can you trust Him when you come to the end of the month and don’t have any money leftover? Can you trust Him when you’re sick and it doesn’t feel like you’ll ever get well? Can you trust Him when he asks you to do something crazy, like move to another country as a missionary? Can you trust Him in the high’s and low’s of life?

Trust is probably easy when the road of life is smooth and there’s nothing going wrong. Trust is much harder when the boat is shaking in the waves, there’s fog all around you, and you can’t see the end destination. But just like Peter, if we don’t focus on Jesus, we will drown in the rocky waters of life.

Jesus called out Peter’s lack of faith, and He will do the same when we don’t trust him. Most of all, we must remember that we can trust Him. He is faithful and true, and He won’t fail us. We just have to believe that he will calm the storms of our lives, that he will rescue us with his great hand, and that he will provide for us in his way and in his timing. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, He is at work, and we can trust Him today and forevermore.

Let’s pray.

Dear Lord, help me trust you in every season of life. Whether it is a season of prosperity or a season of famine, help me know you are at work and I can trust you. Amen.

Recently, I, M.H., had a series of medical emergencies. You can read the full story here, but if you feel led, you can also donate using this link.

Thank you very much.