When Your Sails No Longer Have Wind

He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven
(Ps 107:29-30).

Imagine for a moment you began an exciting sailing adventure. You've been trained to navigate and sail on the ocean and be ready should trouble arise. You are confident you can handle the challenge. However, midway in the journey your resources have dried up. It almost seems God has intentionally destroyed all the skills you have to deal with the weather and the obstacles and your sails are now damaged. Even your engine has broken down. And to make matters even worse, your oars were lost overboard. You are stuck in the middle of the ocean and there is no wind to propel your boat. You are, as they say, "up the creek without a paddle."

All of this leads you to the end of yourself and you say, "Lord, I don't know why you brought me out here only to die." The silence is deafening.

Finally, the Lord speaks, "Yes, you are right. I did bring you out here. I did destroy your sails. I did break your engine. And yes, I do want you dead. Not in a physical sense, mind you, but in a spiritual sense. In order that you may LIVE."

"You see my child, you are nothing without Me. You cannot do anything without my grace and power in your life." The sailor quietly yields. Suddenly, a gentle wave lifts the front of the boat. An easterly wind blows through the broken sail moving the boat in the right direction. You realize God is moving your boat! Your role now is to steer it.

Do your sails no longer have wind to move you? Is your engine broken? Does it feel like God has propelled you into the open sea only to stop midway with no options? Perhaps He is saying it is time to die in order that He might live through you. Give the Lord total control today and you will see His wind moving through your tattered sails..

It's hard to wait. The Bible says, "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him" (Lamentations 3:25 NKJV).
Waiting on God is perhaps most difficult when we're hoping and praying for God to deliver us from whatever trial we may be going through, but remember Christ isn't asking us to believe in our unwavering ability to exercise faith, He is asking us to believe that He is able.

I don’t mind waiting on the Lord’s perfect will for my life to be revealed, but I find that the mortgage company, phone company, gas company, and electric company are much less interested in waiting.

Unfortunately my boat also is leaking and I can see a big storm on the way, and patience is not my virtue. However I have to keep the crew from mutiny so that I don't get beat and thrown in the brig before I go down with the ship. The crew expects me to calm the seas and walk on the water while pulling the boat along, but prayer is all I've got, and miracles of the past do not insure miracles on demand. I wonder why God has seen fit to leave me without a paddle so many times. I tire of life on the waves. I've radioed the authorities ant they're telling me that my boat is in violation of seaworthiness and should I ever reach shore they'll fine me for surviving.

Well, as a saintly friend of mine observed, there’s always a happy ending for the Christian but sometimes the happy ending does not take place until the Afterlife. In the meanwhile, we’re mistake if we think God is necessarily going to save us from homelessness, poverty, hunger, and even death. Many faith-filled Christians all over the world meet the most dreadful fates and God doesn’t save them from misery and death, so we have no reason to think we’re better and are certain to be spared. We’re supposed to thank and praise Him no matter how awful the circumstances are.

But I’m still praying for a miracle. I’ve had a lot of setbacks in my life and I’m hoping to avoid another one. Maybe He’ll cut me some slack on this.

Paul himself was in a Roman prison, knowing the sentence of death was upon him. What did he write to Timothy about in his second letter to him, he wrote about life, life in Christ Jesus. Only Christians have the assurance that as we traverse through this life, (although at times a perilous journey), that God will see us through whatever adversity we may face in our walks with Jesus.

I have a Christian friend in China, who knows people in prison for adhering to their faith in Christ Jesus. These brothers and sisters have not giving up hope, they are not angry, sad, distressed or discontented, they actually wear their imprisonment as a badge of honor, and are actually joyful for being allowed to suffer for the Lord. So I guess it's the way you define happiness, from our view these Christians in prison should be the most unhappy people in the world, but the way they look at it, they are blessed, which is spiritual happy.

Oh, I absolutely agree with you. The people who are in prison in China, or suffering for their faith in Iraq and Syria, or being joyful though they know they are dying of cancer, are infinitely better Christians than I am. I wish I were more like them. But for better or worse I actively desire to keep my pretty house, have a job, pursue a comfortable American life, and not starve under a bridge. Can’t seem to help wanting those things.

I dont think they are better Christians, I just think they have a different calling then you or I. All the things you mention are great things to have, and God has blessed us with those things, as long as we remember from whom all blessings flow, and give thanks daily for those blessings, we are right where God wants us.

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