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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