We may have a breather today, between storms. We’ve been experiencing a lot of rain which is certainly a blessing but sometimes we are threatened with severe weather including flooding. And if that is a blessing, it is wearing a disguise. This morning I’m thinking of the dangerous weather nature hurls our way and also those emotional storms we encounter. Life can be likened to a course we set through an unpredictable sea.
One of my favorite poems is The Voyagers by Van Dyke:
O Maker of the mighty deep, whereon our vessels fare,
Above our life’s adventure keep Thy faithful watch and care.
In Thee we trust, whate’er befall; the sea is great, our boats are small.
We know not where the secret tides will help us or delay,
Nor where the lurking tempest hides nor where the fogs are gray.
We trust in Thee, whate’er befall; the sea is great, our boats are small.
Whatever our dreams and ambitions, sometimes storms beyond our control blow us off course and at other times our Captain charts an entirely different journey. At such times we need faith and trust in our Guide.
A friend of mine once told about being caught in a storm while in a boat on a lake. He was able to get under a bridge and hold onto the supports. The small boat pitched and rolled as the wind blew and lightning crashed. Sheets of rain and angry waves nearly sent the his boat to the bottom but he held on and I’m sure he prayed. He made it safely through the storm but if the boat had filled with water, he would have gone under.
Two of my brothers spent part of their time in the Navy on board a ship. They said that during a storm, they were not in danger of capsizing because of the strength and weight of the ship but even at that, the pitching decks and the swell of giant waves were memorable. They were not in danger of sinking because the water washed off the decks. There were no holes in the hull and the ship stayed afloat.
Something a preacher said once long ago has stuck in my mind. He said it doesn’t matter how rough the sea or how high the waves, if water does not get inside our boats, we will not sink. This is true of those storms in life that perhaps nobody else is aware of. Hurts, fears, uncertainties, illness, troubles of all sort threaten to capsize us. Life’s journey is not always smooth sailing. But if our Captain is in the boat with us, He will keep those storms from swamping us.
I love the hymn by James Cleveland, “Master, the Tempest is Raging.” Here is part of it:
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons, or men, or whatever it be
No water can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and sky
They all shall sweetly obey thy will
Peace, peace, be still.
This gives me a great deal of comfort and I hope it is a comfort to you. We may be in the middle of a storm but our Captain, Jesus, speaks peace to the troubled waters.
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