As a ship cannot sail without a captain, so we cannot sail through life without one who knows how and why life is. Our faults as humans are too great; the handling slippery and the rudder unpredictable. However much we think we have a hand on things, usually we end up stuck somewhere and causing havoc within ourselves. As any human can well admit, we usually don't know what the heck we're doing. The answer becomes clear- he who created the ship, who knows it's inner workings, who put each but and bolt together- only the Creator is capable of controlling such a vessel. Lest we end as the Titanic.
When I was around 12, my dad finally convinced my mum to get on our little boat and go for a little trip down the coast of Culdaff off Bunagee Pier. It was a sunny enough day and having been in the boat several times before, I thought I was an expert. I insisted I could steer and we sailed for about 20 minutes before cutting the engine to just relax looking out over the ocean and admiring the coast line. The current was strong this day and my dad decided to restart the engine before we were pulled closer to the rocks. |
Unfortunately, whatever I had done prior to stopping, there was now water in the engine and we could not get it to start. The crashing waves were pulling us dangerously closer to the jagged rocks and we could feel them under the boat and we came nearer to danger. Heart rates were up, my mother telling us not to panic when really she was trying to calm herself. "Why did you let Jenny do this? She doesn't know how to drive a boat!" My brother and myself picked up the oars to push our family away from the rocks as my dad feverishly attempted to get the back up engine running. This adventure was not going to plan. Praying something would work he finally managed to get the backup working, and as a simultaneous hallelujah resounded, slowly our little boat scratched and a little dented chugged away from the rocks- thanks to the man who knew what he was doing. His daughter did not however in control she thought she was. Needless to say, mother has not been in our boat ever since and I cannot blame here. (That's the story of how I nearly killed my family lol)
God never expected us to be able to do this on our own. We're inexperienced and reckless. He knew we were he knew that from before the beginning which is why He gave us our Captain. Having been washed in the blood of Christ through salvation, you have a gift- waiting to be unwrapped and unleashed into your life. Jesus talks about this gift in John 14, where he says "I will ask the Father and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever" and later "The advocate, the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and remind you of what I have said.
As a leaky vessel we must first surrender control to the Captain- He is the master of this ever changing ocean after all. He already created you, gave you salvation and washed you clean, and given you a way to be led and guided day by day- the good ol' Holy Spirit. You don't have to wait around to unlock Him. 'God in us' is the Holy Spirit- the ever pleading interceding spirit of the Living God which was gifted to you at the moment your gave your life to Him.
"I no longer live but it is Christ who lives in me..." Gal 2.20b"
If you're still holding onto your own steering wheel, you're gonna have a bad time. If you claim to live in Christ, then you have signed a contract to give away your battered vessel- which means you don't have the right to say "Actually, I wanna drive for today."
God never
Surrender simple means accepting that you're unable to do this in your own strength. Surrender is not weakness but humility to know He knows better- that he knows best.
You've been battered from being lost at sea; weathered and rusted. But now you can return to the safe harbour. The same boat He crafted with his own hands- perfected each detail with care and love has returned scarred and ready to be loved on and restored.
First, He covers you. He protects you from the elements. He pours his pure love as water on you and washes you clean of the remnants of salt the world left on you reminding you of the sin you were once emerged in, and the corrosive sandy guilt stuck to you is removed as he submerges you in grace. He grinds away the rust, and replaces the parts of you that are missing. He heals the wounds you once thought were indelible. Then He paints you- a pure unblemished white. He brands you "Christ's" and renames you "Redeemed" "Child" "Mine". On top of this, He paints a weatherproof varnish so that your name can never be scratched off. Why? Because He'll never not want you.
From the moment of surrender, God prepares you to go back into the ocean but this time with the Captain behind the wheel. He teaches you to go where He leads. (There's even a manual).
There'll be ships who saw your before and your renewed self and all you have to do is tell them where that harbour was and point to the Creator. When the waves begin, and you hit the deep waters, you can remain sure your Captain knows where the rocks are and will take you safely through even when you see the places that were the hardest when you tried alone. The Captain never abandons ship. If you choose to take the wheel back, He won't fight you but it won't be long before you realise it was He who was keeping you on track and His gentle hand will take over once again. You learn to trust Him day by day. You become more sensitive to Him, and you learn that there's nothing He can't take you through, even the fiercest of storms and highest of waves. The Captain protects His ship, He's made His home there and He's not going to let some pirates come along and take it
You belong to Him so let Him steer you through this life. Captain knows best.
As a leaky vessel we must first surrender control to the Captain- He is the master of this ever changing ocean after all. He already created you, gave you salvation and washed you clean, and given you a way to be led and guided day by day- the good ol' Holy Spirit. You don't have to wait around to unlock Him. 'God in us' is the Holy Spirit- the ever pleading interceding spirit of the Living God which was gifted to you at the moment your gave your life to Him.
"I no longer live but it is Christ who lives in me..." Gal 2.20b"
If you're still holding onto your own steering wheel, you're gonna have a bad time. If you claim to live in Christ, then you have signed a contract to give away your battered vessel- which means you don't have the right to say "Actually, I wanna drive for today."
God never
Surrender simple means accepting that you're unable to do this in your own strength. Surrender is not weakness but humility to know He knows better- that he knows best.
You've been battered from being lost at sea; weathered and rusted. But now you can return to the safe harbour. The same boat He crafted with his own hands- perfected each detail with care and love has returned scarred and ready to be loved on and restored.
First, He covers you. He protects you from the elements. He pours his pure love as water on you and washes you clean of the remnants of salt the world left on you reminding you of the sin you were once emerged in, and the corrosive sandy guilt stuck to you is removed as he submerges you in grace. He grinds away the rust, and replaces the parts of you that are missing. He heals the wounds you once thought were indelible. Then He paints you- a pure unblemished white. He brands you "Christ's" and renames you "Redeemed" "Child" "Mine". On top of this, He paints a weatherproof varnish so that your name can never be scratched off. Why? Because He'll never not want you.
From the moment of surrender, God prepares you to go back into the ocean but this time with the Captain behind the wheel. He teaches you to go where He leads. (There's even a manual).
There'll be ships who saw your before and your renewed self and all you have to do is tell them where that harbour was and point to the Creator. When the waves begin, and you hit the deep waters, you can remain sure your Captain knows where the rocks are and will take you safely through even when you see the places that were the hardest when you tried alone. The Captain never abandons ship. If you choose to take the wheel back, He won't fight you but it won't be long before you realise it was He who was keeping you on track and His gentle hand will take over once again. You learn to trust Him day by day. You become more sensitive to Him, and you learn that there's nothing He can't take you through, even the fiercest of storms and highest of waves. The Captain protects His ship, He's made His home there and He's not going to let some pirates come along and take it
You belong to Him so let Him steer you through this life. Captain knows best.