God at the helm? Truly?

Let’s be honest, life is sometimes beautiful, but sometimes it can also be stormy. And sometimes there is a storm way too often… We don’t even know where to sail with our ship anymore. We just struggle and struggle through that storm, but hey… we are only human… and that storm is way bigger than we are. And with a bit of bad luck we will also lose our home port / goal and there you are as a ship… Scary stuff…

Maybe you remember that song from Sunday school:

With Jesus in your boat, You can smile through the storm.

Nice song, right? Nope. I actually don’t like storms at all, and sometimes I’m really fed up with them. Smile in the storm? Yeah, right.

But let’s look at the ship in the photo. Suppose there was a storm now, would they be afraid on that ship?

No. Because that ship is on the quay, the sails are lowered, it’s not in the sea. Sounds great, right? Well… not really. Because that ship isn’t going anywhere anymore. It’s just there. Literally aimless. Yes, it’s a ship, but it’s of no use to anyone. Doesn’t transport people, doesn’t transport goods, doesn’t explore new lands, it’s useless. I can’t imagine that the ship itself is happy with it either. “I am a ship, made to sail, what have I been doing here for years?”

And then it comes… if we want to sail, if we want to discover new countries, if we want to be real, who we really are… then the ship has to leave the shore. Hoist the sails! Because if you are the ship, God wants to be your rudder! But that rudder can only do something when the ship is moving… Oops…

And yes, we understand that “moving” can be very scary, but the only way to get somewhere is to go. But as a human being… I don’t want to think about it. Here we go again, who knows, maybe another storm will come. I get those feelings! Yet rest assured, God LOVES to be your rudder. That rudder that only works when you go. And that takes trust in that rudder = God.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

Hebrews 6:1

If you can do that, no matter how difficult, then you can also let go wherever you go. Because that too is up to God. He has known for a long time where you are going with your beautiful ship. And it also helps you get through the storms, to THE eternally beautiful sea, where it will never storm again and where you as a ship will always have a great time.

There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.

Isaiah 4:6

He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 121:3

Good sailing, God bless.