Usually when Daddy and the big boys go out on the boat, I plan something to do with the little two. We had decided to play at home this time. Only, to our surprise, the big boat pulled back into the dock. My first thoughts are always "What is wrong?!?" when plans suddenly change, so I ran out on the porch to see what was wrong...everything had seemed ready to go just a few minutes previous. Well, the waters were not as they seemed and were too rough, so they did a u-turn and came home. It's not what they wanted to do, but what they needed to do...and that was to wait.
I think of all the times God prepares us and gets us ready for something and we think it's Go Time and we rush out and go...only to discover the waters weren't quit ready enough. How many times do I too quickly say Yes to doing something, even if it is something God is preparing me for, and I have everything ready to go and yet the waters weren't ready yet? I had not waited to make sure everything was ready, even though I was. We get so easily wrapped up in ourselves thinking "I am ready and I can do this" only to find out it was not Go Time.
Wisdom and self-control u-turn us and brings us back home when we find ourselves headed into rough waters. Foolishness says, "I don't want to wait, I can do this anyway." The boys could have continued out into the rough waters. It would have been what they had prepared for and wanted, but it would not have been wise. They would have put themselves at risk, and possibly others. Instead, they used their discernment and made the wiser decision to return to refuge and wait for the waters to also be ready. They were prepared and ready, (and eager I might add), yet the waters were not.
Some lessons are learned the hard way, and they had previously had to learn this lesson the hard way. Thank God no one was hurt and all the guys returned home safely, but they took a gamble at being able to manage the high seas one afternoon. Swells began to come over the buoyed boat with 2 divers in the water and one left to Captain the boat. The Captain became terrified as the dark clouds rolled in with waves growing in strength and numbers knowing that there was no way to get to the guys below and warn them of the approaching storm. Neither could he leave and return to safety. When the divers surfaced, the swells and rains were so thick, they could not find the boat right away. That was frightening. At the same moment, all 3 people on the water were in fear and in danger, all because they thought they could handle it. A lesson learned the hard way.
As we live on mission for God, may we always be prepared and ready to go out into the waters, and act wisely, discerning and exercising self-control to know when the right time to go is. May we never go out foolishly or selfishly, but wisely and timely.
"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Philippines 1:9-11
" And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, 3 my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 4 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 5 "For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; 6 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 7 "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. 8 "Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 11 He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water. 13 Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth. 14The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. 15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. 16 Then the channels of the sea were seen; the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17 "He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. 20 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 21 "The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. 24 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt. 25 And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. 26 "With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 27 with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 28 You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. 29 For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness. 30 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 31 This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 32 "For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? 33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my way blameless. 34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. 35 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great. 37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip;" 2 Samuel 22
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