In My Boat: Trusting God in the Midst of the Storm Sample

  Boat Rides

I find it really frustrating when I use a taxi service and the driver does not know the route. Not only that, he equally does not know how to use a map, spending more time and energy than normal.

In life, we find ourselves in some pretty frustrating situations, like my taxi experience. We are in this boat at sea. Without a compass we are lost. None of us has done life before, so we don’t know what the next day holds. We have a map, (the Holy Bible) but don’t know how to use it to navigate our way to our destination and so, naturally, we just learn as we go. But God has done this entire journey called life, and He knows all the twists and where each turn can possibly lead. 

There are two statements in the Bible that give me confidence in God’s directions:

1. God is the Alpha & Omega: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. God is saying: I’ve been here, done that, seen it all, done it all. The question then is, why don’t we place our trust in Him? He knows the end from the beginning. Is it possible that He has all this knowledge and somehow does not desire the best for us? 

2. The second statement says the exact opposite. For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. God, the same God who knows everything – has a plan for you, a plan to give you a future and a hope.

So stop rowing for a minute. You have been paddling furiously trying to make it to a destination you haven’t identified. Even when you have a known destination, the boat ride is difficult and hazardous, the water so turbulent and you wind up either getting lost, or finding yourself where you began, all the while battling turbulent waves.

Whose coordinates are you using? 

Are life’s pressures determining the direction you are headed? Are you in your line of business because everyone says it’s a money maker? Are you a doctor because they told you it was for smart kids but you know you are dying inside? Are you in a relationship now because you were tired of attending weddings and tired of being looked down on?

Change your coordinates. For the best boat rides, it’s safer and smarter to use God’s navigating system. 

Prayer

My father in heaven, I am really tired of trying to figure out life on my own. I confess that I don’t know where I am heading and I keep on getting lost. I would like to use Your coordinates – I would like to rely on Your direction. Please give me the grace to listen to You, dear Holy Spirit, and receive guidance on this boat ride called life.

In Jesus' Name, 

Amen.