Kelly Aul
Author - Publisher - Graphic Designer - Video Producer - Blogger
Someone once said, “You can’t stop birds from flying over your head but you can stop them from building a nest on it.”
12-27-2020
Have you ever read the book called “The Shack” or have seen the movie? I highly recommend it. It’s very moving and sparks a hunger to know God more deeply. Anyway, I won’t give away any details but it’s about a man named Mack that has an encounter with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
There’s a scene in the movie that is my absolute favorite. Jesus tells Mack to get in a small boat and enjoy the beautiful lake while He had to see to something. Mack rows out into the deep, taking in the mountains in the distance and cool breeze. All of a sudden, the calm nature around him changes and a fear begins to rise in him. Out of nowhere, something knocks against the bottom of the wooden boat and startles Mack. He wonders what on earth it could be other than one big fish! Then it happens again, this time harder. Mack grips the sides of the boat in panic because that time, he nearly fell out. It was only then that he noticed something over the side. The once clear blue water was now filling up with an unknown blackness. He bravely reached his hand to touch it and saw it was thick like oil and it was coming from beneath his boat. What was happening? Whatever it was, it was growing stronger. The loud thumps and knocks were now starting to break the wooden panels of the boat and black water began to seep in. He was sinking!
“Mack,” he heard Jesus call his name, though he never looked away from the eerie, thick liquid now pouring into the boat and covering his feet.“Why are you doing this to me?” Mack cried out for there was something else going on deep within himself. Flashes of dark memories flooded over him as quickly as the oil like substance was. Something horrible had happened in Mack’s life that still held him in bondage.“Mack, it’s ok,” Jesus’ reassuring tone did little to calm him at all for he, and his boat, were about to be swallowed by the shadows. “This isn’t me.”“You told me to come out here!” Mack shouted as he scooted up to the back end of the boat, for the front of it was now under water.“This is happening inside you. You’re letting it consume you but you don’t have to. Just listen to my voice.” All of a sudden, the sinking got faster. Mack didn’t have much time!“Don’t look at it, Mack. Look at me!” This time Jesus’ words sounded more stern, with more authority. “Don’t think about the past. Don’t think about the pain. Look at me!” Mack glanced up at Him for only a moment. “Everything is going to be ok.” Their gaze was fixed, then Mack looked back at the water, for it was now at his waist.“Look at me. Trust me. None of this can hurt you.” Mack felt the cold water rising to his chest. There was nothing more to be done. Mack was done for. “Keep your eyes on me.” He finally listened to what Jesus kept telling him and completely surrendered to His words. He chose to remove his eyes from the sunken boat, the deep water, the past, the pain, and looked unto Jesus. He could still feel the water getting higher, and terrible thoughts still raced through his mind. He wanted to look at the circumstances so badly but he just kept his eyes on Jesus, as He walked on the water toward him.“Good, Mack. I’m not going anywhere.” He breathed hard through the panic. However, the longer he gazed at Jesus, everything going on around him slowly faded away.
In the blink of an eye, the sun came out again, the birds, singing their cheerful tune, returned and Mack found himself in the rowboat. The bottom was intact, without any water in it and the black water had vanished. Jesus stepped up to the side of him and smiled knowingly. “You’re imagining your future without me, and that future doesn’t exist. I promised to be with you always.” Reaching his strong hand out to him, Jesus invited Mack to join Him in walking on the water.
This is such a powerful example and exactly what the Word of God says.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
He keeps us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on what? On Him.
It is so important what we keep before us, what we look at, and what we keep our mind on. We all know how easy it is to focus on the wrong things. I remember my downfall into worry, well. It was when I started to think about those negative and fearful things I saw on the news. It kept going over and over in my mind until I couldn’t get free from it. I felt like I was sinking. It wasn’t until God rescued me and I learned how to control my thoughts that I found true freedom from those horrible thoughts.
Random thoughts come to all of us. The crucial moment comes when you decide whether to accept the thought or reject it. We have a choice of what we look at. What are you continually looking at?
Someone once said, “You can’t stop birds from flying over your head but you can stop them from building a nest on it.”
When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they spoke against God. Because of their rebellion, fiery serpents came into their camp and started to bite people, which resulted in many deaths! Moses went to the Lord to get a solution. Here’s what it was.
Numbers 21:8-9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Another translation says a constant gaze. The people who had been bitten, had to stare at the brass serpent to live. Notice, they not only had to keep looking at the serpent, they had to look away from everything else.
Imagine if there was a crowd of people and a bunch of poisonous snakes came and began biting everyone. It had to be complete chaos! People are screaming and running for their lives. And right in the midst of this panic, Moses stands up and tells them to stare at the brass serpent on a pole. You have to force yourself to look away from your brother, who just got bit, your neighbor who is hysterical, the throbbing wound on your leg, the blood oozing from the venomous snakebite, and the feeling of another snake slithering across your foot. No matter what, you have to stare at the brass snake to live. Needless to say, this was not an easy task. But it was their only option.
The brass serpent in the Old Testament is a picture of Jesus in the New Testament. We are to look away from the fear, pain, worry, symptoms, and problems to stare at Jesus with a continuous gaze. And we are to keep it there. This is where our peace is. It’s His peace!
Another example of the importance of what we look at is found in Matthew. The disciples were on a boat when a storm came up. They looked out to find Jesus walking to them on the water.
Matthew 14:28-32 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Peter was doing great as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. The moment he removed his gaze and saw the wind and waves, he started to sink.
This is really where our fight is to stay free from worry. It’s all in our minds! What are we looking at? Whatever our focus is on, it becomes the biggest thing in our life. It becomes our priority.
Remember, there is ALWAYS HOPE! Love, Kelly
(Part of this blog is from my book, “Rescued from Worry.” If any part of this resonates with you, please contact me or visit my website, kellyaulnovels.com. This powerful book is super affordable because I want to get this into your hands!)
There’s a scene in the movie that is my absolute favorite. Jesus tells Mack to get in a small boat and enjoy the beautiful lake while He had to see to something. Mack rows out into the deep, taking in the mountains in the distance and cool breeze. All of a sudden, the calm nature around him changes and a fear begins to rise in him. Out of nowhere, something knocks against the bottom of the wooden boat and startles Mack. He wonders what on earth it could be other than one big fish! Then it happens again, this time harder. Mack grips the sides of the boat in panic because that time, he nearly fell out. It was only then that he noticed something over the side. The once clear blue water was now filling up with an unknown blackness. He bravely reached his hand to touch it and saw it was thick like oil and it was coming from beneath his boat. What was happening? Whatever it was, it was growing stronger. The loud thumps and knocks were now starting to break the wooden panels of the boat and black water began to seep in. He was sinking!
“Mack,” he heard Jesus call his name, though he never looked away from the eerie, thick liquid now pouring into the boat and covering his feet.“Why are you doing this to me?” Mack cried out for there was something else going on deep within himself. Flashes of dark memories flooded over him as quickly as the oil like substance was. Something horrible had happened in Mack’s life that still held him in bondage.“Mack, it’s ok,” Jesus’ reassuring tone did little to calm him at all for he, and his boat, were about to be swallowed by the shadows. “This isn’t me.”“You told me to come out here!” Mack shouted as he scooted up to the back end of the boat, for the front of it was now under water.“This is happening inside you. You’re letting it consume you but you don’t have to. Just listen to my voice.” All of a sudden, the sinking got faster. Mack didn’t have much time!“Don’t look at it, Mack. Look at me!” This time Jesus’ words sounded more stern, with more authority. “Don’t think about the past. Don’t think about the pain. Look at me!” Mack glanced up at Him for only a moment. “Everything is going to be ok.” Their gaze was fixed, then Mack looked back at the water, for it was now at his waist.“Look at me. Trust me. None of this can hurt you.” Mack felt the cold water rising to his chest. There was nothing more to be done. Mack was done for. “Keep your eyes on me.” He finally listened to what Jesus kept telling him and completely surrendered to His words. He chose to remove his eyes from the sunken boat, the deep water, the past, the pain, and looked unto Jesus. He could still feel the water getting higher, and terrible thoughts still raced through his mind. He wanted to look at the circumstances so badly but he just kept his eyes on Jesus, as He walked on the water toward him.“Good, Mack. I’m not going anywhere.” He breathed hard through the panic. However, the longer he gazed at Jesus, everything going on around him slowly faded away.
In the blink of an eye, the sun came out again, the birds, singing their cheerful tune, returned and Mack found himself in the rowboat. The bottom was intact, without any water in it and the black water had vanished. Jesus stepped up to the side of him and smiled knowingly. “You’re imagining your future without me, and that future doesn’t exist. I promised to be with you always.” Reaching his strong hand out to him, Jesus invited Mack to join Him in walking on the water.
This is such a powerful example and exactly what the Word of God says.
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
He keeps us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on what? On Him.
It is so important what we keep before us, what we look at, and what we keep our mind on. We all know how easy it is to focus on the wrong things. I remember my downfall into worry, well. It was when I started to think about those negative and fearful things I saw on the news. It kept going over and over in my mind until I couldn’t get free from it. I felt like I was sinking. It wasn’t until God rescued me and I learned how to control my thoughts that I found true freedom from those horrible thoughts.
Random thoughts come to all of us. The crucial moment comes when you decide whether to accept the thought or reject it. We have a choice of what we look at. What are you continually looking at?
Someone once said, “You can’t stop birds from flying over your head but you can stop them from building a nest on it.”
When the Israelites were in the wilderness, they spoke against God. Because of their rebellion, fiery serpents came into their camp and started to bite people, which resulted in many deaths! Moses went to the Lord to get a solution. Here’s what it was.
Numbers 21:8-9 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Another translation says a constant gaze. The people who had been bitten, had to stare at the brass serpent to live. Notice, they not only had to keep looking at the serpent, they had to look away from everything else.
Imagine if there was a crowd of people and a bunch of poisonous snakes came and began biting everyone. It had to be complete chaos! People are screaming and running for their lives. And right in the midst of this panic, Moses stands up and tells them to stare at the brass serpent on a pole. You have to force yourself to look away from your brother, who just got bit, your neighbor who is hysterical, the throbbing wound on your leg, the blood oozing from the venomous snakebite, and the feeling of another snake slithering across your foot. No matter what, you have to stare at the brass snake to live. Needless to say, this was not an easy task. But it was their only option.
The brass serpent in the Old Testament is a picture of Jesus in the New Testament. We are to look away from the fear, pain, worry, symptoms, and problems to stare at Jesus with a continuous gaze. And we are to keep it there. This is where our peace is. It’s His peace!
Another example of the importance of what we look at is found in Matthew. The disciples were on a boat when a storm came up. They looked out to find Jesus walking to them on the water.
Matthew 14:28-32 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Peter was doing great as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. The moment he removed his gaze and saw the wind and waves, he started to sink.
This is really where our fight is to stay free from worry. It’s all in our minds! What are we looking at? Whatever our focus is on, it becomes the biggest thing in our life. It becomes our priority.
Remember, there is ALWAYS HOPE! Love, Kelly
(Part of this blog is from my book, “Rescued from Worry.” If any part of this resonates with you, please contact me or visit my website, kellyaulnovels.com. This powerful book is super affordable because I want to get this into your hands!)
