Since the apostle Paul took the passengers of the ship to the throne
of grace in prayer, we are now able to face the day’s responsibilities
with courage. Courage is precisely what is going to be needed today, for
just ahead of us is an unknown shore... We are moments away from running
the ship aground upon an anonymous island and the waters are becoming
increasingly shallow as we move closer toward the coast. The weight of
the ship is becoming troublesome to our advancement. In verse 37-38 of
Acts 27, we find the sailors, after strengthening themselves with meat,
having to lighten the ship of its wheat by casting it out upon the sea,
preparing for what lies ahead of them...
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out
the wheat into the sea. And when it was day, they knew not the land: but
they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were
minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.
Oftentimes we do need to unload our burdens before we are ready to handle
definite circumstances, before we will ever be able to locate that certain
strait through which the Lord wants us to pass. Can you think of anything
in your life today that is weighing you down, hindering your progress,
and causing you to hit bottom by bringing you to a standstill spiritually?
You see, ladies, after we've strengthened ourselves with the Word of God
by eating spiritual meat from the Bible, we will clearly recognize the
weights we are carrying that must go, just as these sailors did. After
gaining courage, they now had the strength of mind to realize that the
very cargo, which was most precious to them, must be cast overboard in
order to survive, to keep from sinking, and to find that narrow way to
life…
Matthew 7:14 (KJV)
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto
life, and few there be that find it.
Now ladies, if you were on a ship that was sinking fast, what one precious
thing would you take with you on the lifeboat, if possible? Whatever your
answer may be, that very treasure is the one that needs to be cast aside,
for it is reducing your advancement! Consider for a moment how significant
that valuable wheat was to this ship's crew. It was the very source of
their main income, the means by which they could live; and overboard their
security went... What were they thinking with every bag of valuable cargo
that was tossed into the sea? Yes, courage is definitely necessary as
we travel in this life! Courage, coupled with trust in the Lord, will
make it possible to let go of whatever goods are most precious to you.
Need to throw anything overboard today, dear lady? Is it time to FINALLY
begin completely trusting your Lord and Savior to take care of you?
1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
After casting all our care upon the Lord, what next? Let's read on down
to verse 40 and find the answer there....
And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto
the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the
wind, and made toward shore.
I absolutely love this verse!! There is so much hidden value that lies
within it! Do you see it all?? After throwing their wheat to the sea,
which is an ideal image of casting our cares upon the Lord, these sailors
were able to take up those four anchors they had thrown over earlier -
remember them? With the weight gone, their buoyancy returned… Once the
anchors are pulled up, they are prepared to commit themselves completely
to the sea - entrusting themselves wholeheartedly to God! So it is in
our lives...
As a growing Christian, I hope you can look back on various areas in your
life where you were weighed down with many concerns, resting in imitation
anchors, but have since handed over your burdens to the Lord and been
let loose to sail without restraint. I can think of one worldwide artificial
anchor many women (even Christian women!) are frantically clinging to
and that fake sense of security is Prozac, along with many other anti-depressants.
So many of God’s people have come to anchor their souls in places other
than the God of this universe... Ladies, committing ourselves wholeheartedly
to the Lord is essential if we would move ahead in our Christian life!
If we fail to commit ourselves one hundred percent to God, it becomes
our point of stagnation, the very place where we stop sailing and begin
to sink! To become an established Christian woman, you must commit your
spirit, commit your way, and commit your works unto the Lord entirely...
Psalm 31:5 (KJV)
Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God
of truth.
Psalm 37:5 (KJV)
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it
to pass.
Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)
Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Sailors are highly skilled in very methodical ways of traveling upon the
sea. The manner in which they handle the ship is extremely important to
their survival, and each step must conscientiously be carried out in a
fastidious and sensible order. After taking up anchor, the next step would
be to loose the rudder bands. In navigation, the rudder is the instrument
by which a ship is steered. It is attached below the ship to the wheel
above the ship and is that which is used to guide or govern the vessel.
One can assume then that rudder bands are bands that prevent the ship
from being steered. Such is the picture of sin in our lives! Transgression
keeps us from being guided and governed by God as the chief Captain of
our souls… However, once we have committed ourselves to the Lord, we are
then able to loose those rudder bands and break the bonds of sin that
have been governing and guiding our every move! Have you loosed your rudder
bands yet, mate?? It's the foolish sailor that neglects this important
procedure and ends up crashing upon the rocks of the water's edge...
Romans 7:11 (KJV)
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew
me.
James 1:15 (KJV)
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it
is finished, bringeth forth death.
Lastly, we see that the sailors hoisted up the mainsail to the wind in
order to make toward shore as the final step. Perhaps by now you have
been able to apply the rest of this verse yourself... What would you say
the mainsail is representative of in your life? If you said your heart,
you would be right! The mainsail is just what it says it is - the MAIN
sail, the primary and biggest sail attached to the mainmast and to which
all other smaller sails are connected. It is the mainsail that catches
the biggest portion of wind and moves the ship along. Unless it is hoised
up, the ship goes nowhere; it has no purpose or direction to take and
cannot be moved forward by the blowing of the wind...
Ladies, when you and I are first committed to God and then controlled
by God, our hearts are then filled with the purpose of sailing toward
glorifying God - even in a storm! What a great goal for a Christian to
have and a great use of our lives. You certainly can't hoist up your heart
if it is tied down with transgression, amen? However, once it is free
from sin's shackles, it can be lifted to meet with the power of the Holy
Spirit of God as He fills our sails! We are free to be moved along by
Him, that Divine Wind that blows our hearts in God's direction…
Acts 2:2&4a (KJV)
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting...and they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost....
I don't know about you, but I sure am enjoying this life at sea, in spite
of the storms! I am thankful that we have accompanied Paul on this trip
to Italy, even if he is a prisoner… It makes no difference at all what
our circumstances are, for I have learned that the face of God cannot
be hidden even in the worst of storms, nor can His purpose be hindered.
I'm looking forward to joining "all hands on deck" tomorrow as we close
with Acts chapter 27. See you then mates! Smooth sailing to you all today
with anchors up, rudder bands loosed, and mainsails raised to the wind!
After lightening our loads, we can make it to that final shore glorifying
our God!!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
