Scripture reading Psalm 34:8, 107:1
In times of significant change in our lives or when we are embarking on a new journey, we often deal with uncertainty. Oswald Chambers wrote favorably about such times because he believed that it is precisely in times of uncertainty that the Lord can work the best. If we allow the Lord to work through our uncertainty, Oswald Chambers believed that we become more certain of Him.
In my devotional time the other morning, the picture of a ship entering a harbor came to my mind. Some months ago I had been watching a reality-documentary television show about the life of a harbor captain. This is a very specialized line of work because the captain’s work is to board the ship while it is at sea before it enters the harbor and guide it safely to the dock. The captain also boards at the dock and guides the ship a safe distance out to sea.
Let me create a word picture before we go further. Imagine that our journey lies out on the open ocean. Either when we close a chapter in our lives or we begin a new chapter in our lives, we are faced with having to navigate the more shallow waters of the inlet, the coastline, the waters of the harbor, other ship traffic in close quarters, and approach or leave the dock without creating any damage. To the untrained eye, the waters of the harbor, inlet and coastline appear to be ordinary and navigable.
The fact is that we cannot be experts in all things. Each harbor is entirely different from all other harbors. It would be nearly impossible for us to memorize and be familiar with every square inch of each harbor’s waters. This is where the harbor captain’s expertise shines. This captain boards the ship, and on taking command of the bridge, he is in command of the entire ship. No longer are the deck hands and crew taking orders from their regular captain. The regular captain, who was entrusted with the ship and its valuable cargo, is now no longer in control. He is entrusting his life, the lives and safety of his crew, and the safety of his cargo into the hands and skill of the harbor captain.
And it is precisely in times of such uncertainty that we must entrust our lives to the skill and guidance of the Lord. Although the surface waters appear to be navigable and safe, there are hazards below the surface that we cannot see. To safely navigate through the uncertainty, we must place our trust for our entire being into the hands of the Lord and exercise our faith to believe that He will guide us to safety, and not destruction. If we can first start out with the belief and understanding that the Lord has our best interests at heart, then trusting Him completely becomes somewhat easier. Now add to this that the Lord wants to make His glory known through our lives. To this, add that the Lord wants to build His kingdom through our lives.
What we get out of this is that the Lord will not lead us down a path that ends in our destruction. He will not run the ship aground, collide with another ship or ram the dock. He will not risk the cargo or the lives of the crew. The Lord takes His work in our lives seriously. The Lord will not abuse our trust and will not treat our faith and love callously.
It is true that when we place our complete trust in the Lord the path we took may have been different than the path we would have chosen. This is no accident but is entirely by design. The way before us may have been treacherous or there may have been unseen snares. Often times the Lord guides us by a particular pathway for reasons that we cannot see. More than this, when we completely trust Him, He may divert our pathway so that we come into contact with people whose lives we might not otherwise have touched.
Let us not forget Jesus Christ Himself walked the human road. He was born, raised from a child and educated. He suffered humiliation and scorn. He suffered undue punishment and ridicule. He intentionally lived as a meek, humble servant. He was homeless as an adult and worked as an itinerant preacher. He experienced times of great loneliness and temptation. Ultimately, he experienced death as a criminal even though no fault was found in Him. In His dying, he took upon Himself all of our sin, our shame, our guilt, and our suffering. He paid the penalty, so that we may have redemption. The forgiveness of sins He offers is no cheap forgiveness. He paid the ultimate penalty and took our sins upon Himself, so that we may have life. Jesus knows the life we lead. He knows our uncertainty. He knows the suffering and tragedy we experience.
Will you let Him board your ship today and take total command, so that you can safely navigate this time in your life? O taste and see that the Lord is good. His mercy endures forever.
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