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Look up!



Jesus always went up to the top of a mountain to pray- what does that mean? Not that He needed to go up there to feel closer to God. But, the top of the mountain was where in the Old Testament Moses and some of the prophets went to talk and hear God speaking. What is it about the mountain? Maybe because it is quiet, maybe because you can appreciate the nature and the mighty power of God from the heights. Have you ever climbed up a mountain? Not a hill, I mean, a mountain? I certainly not. Let's imagine a mountain. Now, imagine you going up, slowly, you are constantly looking up; it is tiring, right? but you know it will be worthy. It takes courage, efforts to go up. Have you ever counted how many times Moses climbed up and down Mount Sinai? Two times. Moses was 80 years old when he left with the people from Egypt. I don't think an 80 years old person today can climb Mount Sinai twice. I don't even know if I can. But anyway, the point is:  once you get used to some kind of exercise, you can accomplish a lot of things. So, what does it get to go up a mountain to talk to God? But you know that today, you don't need to do that, don't you? Sometimes, I believe, it looks like we are going up a mountain to talk to God; it seems so hard, and difficult. I tell you, it is because you are not used to it. Once you get your heart pumping right, you'll to in the blink of an eye.

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In Matthew 14:22 - 32 tells us that after Jesus fed the people and dispersed them, He went up to a mountain to pray. Meanwhile, the disciples got into a boat to cross the lake. It was raining very heavy; it says it was a storm. They were for sure terrified. s we all get when we face a storm in our lives. We look for everything that might help us to feel secure and protected, not to drown or to lose our belongings. But when exactly we look for Jesus? When to we hear he says " Take heart, it is I, don't be afraid".
How many of us really listen and take heart and desire to be there with him? To face our fear, to try the impossible? Even knowing that we might not have that big faith, but we know that He will reach out for our hands and save us when we start drowning like Peter. Peter wanted to be with him the second he heard Him talking. Peter looked through the rain in direction of Jesus' voice. He dared to go and meet Him. If we stop to think about that action, what would you say? At first, there was no need for him to leave the boat and meet Jesus on the water; but doing what Jesus was doing, that would be fantastic, would not? I think my child heart would want to do just like Peter. So, he dared.
But, as we are humans and prone to fail so did Peter. How many of us could not be blessed because we doubted? Peter did, and he drowned because he doubted. Peter instead of looking to Jesus as he was in the beginning, he looked around, to the wind! Why? Because we tend to do just that, look around, be curious about what is going on and so on. And then, he doubted. Peter lost his focus. He took his eyes off Jesus for a second, and he drowned. Sometimes, it is just what it takes, just a second. Sometimes we focus on the wind, we forgot that our target is Jesus, it was He Peter's motivation to get off the boat and walk on the water, to believe and try the impossible. And the impossible was made possible, just because he believed. The hardest part Peter achieved, but in the instant, he looked around, he drowned.
Are you drowning?
Look up! Jesus is stretching his arm to save you for drowning. Don't take too long, or you might drown for real.
Just look up

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