Holidays are times to remember, usually (but not always!) with memories of freedom from work, of joy, new experiences and time to walk, see new places, or just relax and chat or read. As children, we often went to an estuary in Devon and seemed to spend most of the time in water, either swimming, fishing or sailing.

The first boat we learned to sail was a little six-foot Praam dinghy ('pram' dinghy was more appropriate!). Often we managed to overturn it – the boat in the sea was fine, but the sea was in the boat was – Help!! We even did capsize practice to learn how to get upright again! As we progressed to larger craft we realised that to have a solid keel under the boat was a guarantee that if the wind got up or the sea became rough, at least we wouldn't turn over completely.

This principle is true through life also. Without a solid keel we can easily get overturned by life's storms.

The Solid Keel

So what is the keel that enables us to weather the storms and crises that life sometimes seems to throw at us? We have all been through these times. Here are two thoughts:

1. Our ability to survive these storms rests not with us, but with God who made us and dwells within us. He knows what we are going through, whether on sea or on land, and He does not leave us to struggle in the storm on our own (Isa 43:2).

2. When Jesus was caught in a great storm on Lake Galilee, we can note His full confidence in His Father (He was even asleep in the boat in the storm) when His disciples thought they would drown as the squalls were filling their boat with water (Mark 4:37-41).

In this case, concerned for their safety, they woke Him up and cried, ‘Don't you care if we drown?’ Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Be silent!’. And there was a great calm. But to His disciples, He said ‘Where is your faith in our Father?’ And the disciples said to one another, ‘What manner of man is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him.’ It's true.

Now we too can know security when we pass through deep waters: first, that He is with us, and second, that He has the ability and the willingness to calm both the storm and us, even if we are fearful and without faith. If we trust Him, this is His promise to us.

He is Sufficient

This is the keel we all need in the storms of life, to stop us from being overturned.

When we have full trust and faith in our Father, as Jesus did, we can trim our sails to the wind of His Spirit (Ruach, breath) if the storms are mild. If they are severe, we can know that Jesus stays with us and that He has the power to bring a great calm even when we are fearful, because of His great love for us.

Beloved tested ones, God's love and grace is sufficient for us. Let us make Him our keel and we will not be overturned, even if our little ship is full of water.

Author: Greg Stevenson