Up The Creek Without A Paddle

T

he coastline of North Carolina is a beautiful place.  Wide beaches with pure white sand stretch for miles, most of them untouched by the commercialism so prevalent in today’s society.  A series of islands, known as the Outer Banks, comprise the state’s coastline and although beautiful to look at, the waters around the banks are treacherous.  Many a ship has met its demise along this stretch of shore and sailors long past dubbed this area the graveyard of the Atlantic. 

There is something about ships that captivates our imagination.  I remember reading Treasure Island and Moby Dick, wondering what it would be like to be aboard a ship as it sailed off into the sunset. Stories of the Spanish Armada, Christopher Columbus, and a visit to the Mayflower when I was small also teased my imagination as to what life on board a sailing vessel would be like. 

But soon the adventure and the curiosity vanished when I read actual accounts of ships being lost at sea with their crews.  I remember watching documentaries of the Titanic and the interviews with survivors as they described what the hours were like as the ship sank and they waited for help.  Somehow the romanticism of being on board a ship lost its allure and I was very glad to have my feet firmly planted on solid ground.

The Bible, however, is filled with stories about the sea and the wonderful things that happened there.  Who can forget the stories of Jonah and the whale, of Jesus walking on the water, of Jesus calming the storm, or of Peter catching an enormous number of fish?  It is also around the sea that Jesus did many of his miracles and taught many of his lessons.  And it is from the sea that we take our lesson for today as we learn how God’s arm reaches, protects, and guides us even when everything around us spells disaster.  What a wonderful lesson for the Christian today!

In Acts 27:22-24, we find the Apostle Paul on his way to Rome to stand trial before Caesar.  In the process, the ship carrying him encounters a violent storm which will end in the ship being wrecked.  Paul had warned the captain and the crew not to sail under the prevailing conditions, but they did not heed his warning.  Nevertheless, there is great encouragement for us as we study Paul’s statement in this passage of scripture:  “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul.”

From the outset, Paul encourages his companions to take courage and not to fear.  The storm was raging, the ship was in peril, and Paul knew that the vessel would be lost.  But the crew and passengers would be spared.  In the midst of this storm, God sent his assurance.  In the middle of disaster, God’s protection was there.  When the waves crashed over the bow of the boat, God’s messenger stood beside Paul and told him not to be afraid.  When all around Paul things were falling apart, God was holding these men and their lives together.

This is always the way our God works.  The very foundations may give way around us, the very sea of life may crash against our hull and overflow our ship, but God, in his infinite love and mercy, stands beside us and protects us from all harm.  God did not remove the storm and he did not prevent the shipwreck.  Paul and his companions were not spared from enduring the ordeal but they were protected in it and were brought through it without one of them being lost.

The same God who was with Paul is standing beside you today.  Even though the winds of strife are blowing against you and the rough waters of fear and discouragement are washing over the sides of your ship.  Through the gale, through the waves, and through the rough seas, God is standing at the helm, steering your ship, guiding it through the turbulent waters.  As he was with Paul on that day, so he is with you this very instant.  Be courageous, do not fear, stand firm, and listen to his voice.  Up the creek without a paddle you may be, but you are never on life’s sea without a life preserver.  May God bless you and may His presence assure you as you navigate the sea of life today!