Whose Walls Do I Trust?
#257 Whose Walls Do I trust? 1 Peter 3.21
I have come to realize that I have built my own walls of protection around myself. I have avoided dealing with some vulnerable issues with my husband and in other areas of my life.
I have chosen to avoid instead of to face the issues with God’s leading in integrity and love. I have unconsciously chosen to protect myself, forgetting to focus on His way of deliverance.
I see now that I need to open up certain memories and experiences in my past to the healing light of His profound love and truth and its power to transform. 1 John 1:5-9
These walls are not working. In fact, the walls that I have built create the illusion of being safe, but really they insulate me from the path of true intimacy and adventure in Christ.
Much better to trust the walls of the ark of baptism for Divine protection and deliverance.
“…When the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to him.” 1 Peter 3:20-22
The ark is a symbol of baptism. Baptism is the condition of surrender of conscience, a ‘death’ of our old perceptions and will and an identification with Christ and his cause--Romans 6:3-13. This includes God at work in every facet of our lives: God at work in our thoughts, affections and actions.
The ark seemed restrictive but it actually granted the freedom of life. Galatians 5:13-14
Outside was tempest and danger, the ark was surrounded by water, submerged in water and rained upon!
And inside was constant provision for life.
There were tasks required while on the ark to care the family of Noah and to care for the animals. The chores were mostly along the lines of nurturing and clean up. Then there was the challenge to keep hope and trust in God alive for the uncertain days ahead.
We care for our spiritual family, and we also prepare for the future life and blessing of our natural human family. Our baptism vows include eating the food that has been provided for us, nurturing the lives around us, as well a lot of letting go and taking decisive action to remove whatever does not help us to grow. Matthew 5:29-30 Daily we renew our trust and conviction of His far seeing wisdom and love. Hebrews 10:23
God determined how the ark was to be built. Noah carried it out. Our greater than Noah, Jesus, is the author and finisher of our faith, and the one whose example guides us.
The authority and power by which we are baptized and delivered is Christ, through his all power in heaven and earth. 1 Peter 3:22; Matthew 28:18
There was no rudder and no compass. God is our rudder and compass.
We are loved more than we can imagine.
We are protected and cherished by God, the architect of this baptism, and by Jesus, the one who carried out its reality in everyday life. Luke 12:50
Let us let Him be our rudder, our compass and our protection to bring us safely through the waters of challenging experience.
The safest place to be is to trust, in the middle of His will.
Let us chose to stay in the ark of God, in whose walls we trust!
I have come to realize that I have built my own walls of protection around myself. I have avoided dealing with some vulnerable issues with my husband and in other areas of my life.
I have chosen to avoid instead of to face the issues with God’s leading in integrity and love. I have unconsciously chosen to protect myself, forgetting to focus on His way of deliverance.
I see now that I need to open up certain memories and experiences in my past to the healing light of His profound love and truth and its power to transform. 1 John 1:5-9
These walls are not working. In fact, the walls that I have built create the illusion of being safe, but really they insulate me from the path of true intimacy and adventure in Christ.
Much better to trust the walls of the ark of baptism for Divine protection and deliverance.
“…When the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through the water.
And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to him.” 1 Peter 3:20-22
The ark is a symbol of baptism. Baptism is the condition of surrender of conscience, a ‘death’ of our old perceptions and will and an identification with Christ and his cause--Romans 6:3-13. This includes God at work in every facet of our lives: God at work in our thoughts, affections and actions.
The ark seemed restrictive but it actually granted the freedom of life. Galatians 5:13-14
Outside was tempest and danger, the ark was surrounded by water, submerged in water and rained upon!
And inside was constant provision for life.
There were tasks required while on the ark to care the family of Noah and to care for the animals. The chores were mostly along the lines of nurturing and clean up. Then there was the challenge to keep hope and trust in God alive for the uncertain days ahead.
We care for our spiritual family, and we also prepare for the future life and blessing of our natural human family. Our baptism vows include eating the food that has been provided for us, nurturing the lives around us, as well a lot of letting go and taking decisive action to remove whatever does not help us to grow. Matthew 5:29-30 Daily we renew our trust and conviction of His far seeing wisdom and love. Hebrews 10:23
God determined how the ark was to be built. Noah carried it out. Our greater than Noah, Jesus, is the author and finisher of our faith, and the one whose example guides us.
The authority and power by which we are baptized and delivered is Christ, through his all power in heaven and earth. 1 Peter 3:22; Matthew 28:18
There was no rudder and no compass. God is our rudder and compass.
We are loved more than we can imagine.
We are protected and cherished by God, the architect of this baptism, and by Jesus, the one who carried out its reality in everyday life. Luke 12:50
Let us let Him be our rudder, our compass and our protection to bring us safely through the waters of challenging experience.
The safest place to be is to trust, in the middle of His will.
Let us chose to stay in the ark of God, in whose walls we trust!
