12.05.20— Others May Follow! - 2 Timothy 1: 8-12
My friend, may I ask you a question? When things look bad, look first to your faith and not to earthly things. When the storms of life threaten to drown us in a sea of trouble, is faith your safe harbor?
My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I’m M. Clifford Brunner
Here’s a story: The old fishing schooner had trawled many a reef and shoal. Her decks and rigging had survived the storm and fury of the unpredictable North Atlantic waters. She was built for wind and wave. However, now her hold was packed with salted cod and she was riding deep to keel. It was time to head home to Gloucester and put her catch and crew ashore. Fishing season had begun on the Grand Banks in mid-May and she had now been out almost four months. Autumn was approaching and the winds of September had begun to blow. The old captain walked the decks somewhat nervously that morning. The winds were strong and the waves were building fast. The schooner was under full sail, back to the wind. Suddenly it hit! A full Northeaster slammed into the schooner. Seawater began to crash over the schooner’s decks and spill into its hold and down the galley way. The first mate, new to the crew and not experienced in this weather, came crashing into the captain’s cabin. “Sir.” He shouted. “Should I have the men start the bilge pumps?” The captain grabbed him by his tunic and looked him square in the eye. “No, mate! Look first to your sails, man. It’s them that's will capsize us first. Drop your sails man, do it now!” The First Mate complied and put the crew to work. First they dropped sail on the mizzen mast and then the other two. Slowly the schooner began to right itself and ride out the wind and wave. With sails down and the ship out of danger, the order went out to man the bilge pumps. The schooner, its crew and catch would make it to Gloucester after all simply because the captain knew what to do first and when to do it.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and had brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Paul knew how to prioritize his thinking. When things look bad, look first to your faith and not to earthly things. When the storms of life threaten to drown us in a sea of trouble, look first to your faith. Don’t try to “fix” things any other way. There is a simple equation for facing life and its troubles- -first faith and then action. Faith, like those sails, controls our lives. God uses faith to steer and direct us. We need to be in control of our faith when the storms hit. Don’t look to anything else before you look to those sails. They will always provide the best means for controlling the storms of life that aim to destroy except for your ability to use that faith.
We pray. Heavenly Father. Help us to stop trying to “fix” things our own way before we first turn to our faith to see how fresh, strong and able it is to do the job for us. We know that there is a simple equation for facing life and its troubles- first faith and then action. Forgive us when we neglect attending to our faith and leap around for answers in our lives that are not founded on our trust in Your grace and mercy. Faith, like a boat’s sails, controls our lives. You use it to steer and direct us. We need to be in control of our faith when the storms hit. Help us by Your Spirit to know that and dispose us not to look to anything else before we look to first to our faith. It will always provide the best means for controlling the storms of life that aim to destroy except for our ability to use that faith. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.