Uncharted Waters

Uncharted Waters

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:2

Set the way back machine to elementary school and recite this poem with me.

In fourteen Hundred and ninety two,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
He had three ships and sailed from Spain.
 He sailed through sunshine wind and rain.

OK that’s enough of it. Columbus Day snuck up on me this year, but it got me to thinking. Columbus set out on his famous voyage with ninety sailors trying to find a new route to the West. He had trouble finding support for his journey. Three other countries refused to finance his voyage before he got help from Ferdinand and Isabella. The route he took was literally uncharted waters, so he navigated using the stars. He lost one of his ships along the way and his sailors were close to mutiny. At one time I owned a copy of his ship’s log, and it described the storms and the lack of supplies.  In spite of all these obstacles he was successful.
While it is true that Columbus life and journeys were full of controversy, that is not our point here. Many of us are going through uncharted waters with God right now. In my life, he is taking my ministry to places I never imagined it. He is also taking me back through some of the storms in my life so I can forgive people and get some healing. I am learning to walk out of fear and advocate for my family and for myself. You may be in different waters, such as new life in recovery or a new place in your family or work. You may be in some stormy waters with you health or the health of someone you love. You might be new in the faith or you may have found that there are people who are not supportive. Maybe in the process you have lost some things or people that were important to you. One advantage we have over Columbus is that while he navigated by the stars, our course is set and directed by God, the maker of the stars. He sent Jesus, not just as a sacrifice, but also as a scout to go before us and understand our experience.
Like many people, one of my life verses is Jeremiah 29:11, which reads, “I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” A change, even a good one, is scary and uncomfortable. God is in control, though, and He is still on the throne. Whatever new adventure you are on, God is with you.
In Mark Chapter 4, we read this story of Jesus and the disciples
Jesus Calms the Storm
…37Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. 38But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” 39Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.…”
The disciples were perfectly safe in the storm because Jesus was with them. He is just as much with us today as he was with them. One of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” How wonderful that God used this name for Jesus to remind us of the reality.
When Jesus spoke to his disciples in what is sometimes called the Great Commission, he makes this promise. “Lo, I am with you always, even till the end of the age.” Matthew 28:11.
So many verses speak to God’s promise and presence In our lives. I encourage you to spend time looking for other verses and in supporting and loving other people who are also in the storm. Take Jesus at his word. “Peace. Be Still.”