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Listen while you read: "Simply Trusting"1 (Lyrics) |
Isaiah 26:3 – You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. (AMP)
I remember well one day when my husband and I were travelling up the inside passage on the west coast of Canada from Vancouver towards the border of Alaska, and my husband discovered that our boat could sail only forward. Try as he might to steer the boat to either starboard or port, the boat would not respond to the ship's mechanism. Without this control, we would be unable to manoeuvre to our appointed destination and beyond. My husband could not understand what the reason was for the sudden change in response, but he did not transfer his anxiety to me.
Recently, as I read the well-known words written by the hymn writer Edgar Page Stites, the third line of the third verse suggested, "If in danger, for him call." I remembered that the writer had been a riverboat pilot. How he would have prayed to his heavenly Father as he guided the boat through those pounding, frothing, unpredictable waters of the rapids.
- Singing if my way be clear,
Praying if the path be drear,
If in danger, for him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.
Did my husband pray when we were in such grave danger? Without a doubt! The situation was becoming more and more serious as we neared our destination. When we were abeam of the small community where we had planned to stay the night, my husband suddenly swung the boat's steering wheel swiftly and the boat immediately responded and began to turn slowly in the direction that we wished to go. As we looked back, we saw a long length of commercial fishnet swiftly float away behind us. "If in danger, for Him call!" Our heavenly Father had heard my husband's silent prayers, and in the most desperate moment He had responded to our need.
When we pray, we can expect results from an all-knowing God who will respond to the situation according to His plan. His action will be the best, even if it's not what we had hoped for. The little children I teach in Sunday school have found this more understandable through the acronym FAITH: "Forsaking All I Trust Him".
Prayer: Gracious heavenly Father, thank You for this day, which may spread before us as calm as a millpond, but perhaps one unexpected piece of information may change our lives forever. Regardless of the dangerous waters of circumstances which may emerge before us, we know that You will guide us through them to our safe mooring. All we have to do this day is simply to put our trust in a God Who is always available. With Your help, Father, may our lives reflect our trust in You this day to others. Thank You, Father. Amen.
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Thanks for the encouraging word Vena.
Lovely devotional today Vena. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful message Vena – thank you!
Blessings.
Thank you for the FAITH acronym. I hadn’t heard this before but will certainly make use of it from now on. Blessings.
Vena – it’s so good to be hearing from you and to have an encouraging message.
The hymn is good, too; I remember when we sang that hymn, many years ago.
Thank you and God bless you.
Vena,
Not to distract from the intent of your well written article on prayer and trust, I’m curiuos, did you ever find out the cause of the problem, or did it just fix itself?
(CA)
What a beautiful prayer.
When I awake for the day.. I always say Good Morning God, Here I am.
My favorite verse is Ps 25:4 & 5.
I taught it as a little song to my second grade Sunday School class MANY years ago. It has been my help throughout my many years. Even after our severe accident.
Shortly afterwards he went to his eternal home. NOW I just sit at home with my dog. No I am not really, alone. I am waiting.
Vena: You had me right to the end. I figured it had to be a man-made cause and therefore your husband had better quit all that praying and get down on his knees and look in the engine compartment for the problem.
The trouble thus was not of the boat for it became apparent and then immediately resolved just in time as His answer for help.
If it had been me perhaps I would have continued believing it to be ‘something’ I could eventually solve myself just before the bow crashed up on a rocky shore somewhere. So I support the lesson your interesting Devotional placed before us.
Thank you and may God continue to bless you both.
Dear Vena,
Such a great way to turn an frightening episode into a meaningful illustration that shows God’s care for us in the midst of even our greatest difficulties and challenges! I thank God he saved you both.
Thank you.
Keep writing.
AMEN and thank you.
God bless you.