The Boat is Sinking

by Dorie

The boat is sinking group yourselves into 5, into 4, into 3....

It could have been better if we could join others when our own boat of hope starts to sink. Sometimes we even abandon this hope when the sight of impossibility creeps in. How long are we going to hold on to something that we feel far from happening? Are we holding on long enough that giving up seems justifiable?

The father of all nations, Abraham, waited for 25 years before receiving what had been promised to him- a son. At the age of 75 God told Abraham that he will become a great nation. God then commanded him to leave his comfort zone-his country to set out in a land that was unknown to him. At the age of 90, God renewed His promise- that was after 15 years.  At the age of 100 after 10 years, Abraham finally had a son- Isaac. Abraham waited for a total of 25 years for God’s promise to be fulfilled. 

Ludolf Backhuysen, - Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee - from Wikipedia

During those 25 years, Abraham himself also doubted God’s ability to carry out his promise; he thought that God’s promise could be fulfilled by other means. He then forced to have a son in his wife’s maidservant Hagar.   In the same way, when our own boat of hope starts to sink, we now think that God’s promise could have other ways of getting done, perhaps by using our own resources, connections and might. Sometimes, we also force things to happen just like what Abraham did. When things become impossible we feel like God can no longer carry on his plan in our life. That our situation is beyond our creator’s control. 

This is not true. God had already finished your life’s blueprint in heaven even before you were born. He knows exactly what obstacles you’ll be going through and He sees how you’ll get out of it. He created the whole universe even without your or my help. God can accomplish his promise according to His own will, He will use different ways in doing this but it doesn’t mean that when your ways failed he also failed. 

Let him direct your boat and it will not sink. You may encounter storms along the way but just be still, Jesus calms even the toughest storm. You’ll surely reach the promise land in His perfect time. So gather your strength and continue paddling, for the Lord paddles with you.