Navigating In Stormy Waters

One time, over 30 years ago, I was part of a group of brothers sailing on a large schooner. The craft was about 63 feet long. We were out in about six-foot swells while it was raining. A few of us were standing out on the bowsprit and the cables running to it from the gunnels. We were holding to the cables running up to the forward mast. When the bow would hit the bottoms of the swells, water would wash over us, and we would laugh with deep delight. We were so confident with our "sea legs" and were accustomed to how the schooner acted in that kind of weather and seas. We had been there times before.

We had guests with us that day that were not accustomed to the sea or sailing. At one point in our absolutely delightful frolic, I looked back some 55 feet to the cockpit behind the mainsail at our guests peering over the cabin top at us. They were very ill at ease... okay, frightened! At that moment and then later, I mused to myself on all this as a metaphor of how different followers of Christ react to stormy weather. The picture that day on the schooner was not completely unlike the contrast between the disciples during the storm at sea as the Lord Jesus slept below.

They ran below and woke him, saying: “Lord, save us! We’re going down!”

His reply was: “Why are you so afraid, and have such little faith?”

Our guests that day, unlike us, did not know the strength of that strong vessel. We knew how the schooner had been built, like H.W. Longfellow wrote, we knew at some time in the distant past when it was being built, that...

In the ship-yard stood the Master,

With the model of the vessel,

That should laugh at all disaster,

And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!

("The Building of the Ship")

During this stormy season in America and the rest of the world, when everything is changing and many in power make decisions that are more for themselves than for citizens, my mind goes through the numerous emails and Facebook entries where I have read the concerns of so many. Most seem to have difficulty, separating America from God's Kingdom in their thoughts.

When the natural is in focus, the invisible-eternal is all blurred. However, when we get the eternal in bold relief to the visible, we can see how little difference it makes that the swells are crashing across the bow of the "Ship of State" of God's grand kingdom. I can envisage many huddled "aft" and peering forward, not knowing how seaworthy the craft is and not understanding the nature of the seas when they are troubled.

Then in my mind, I look toward the bow to see if any are enjoying the ride. Now, if our Sovereign King, is truly enthroned, and if He is at the helm of our futures as believers, then why would we worry? Why could we not enjoy the journey, knowing Who is really steering the course?