|
Listen to this devotional: |
Listen while you read: "Tell Me The Story Of Jesus"1
(Lyrics) |
The day dawned with a bright blue sky and warm temperature. We decided to take the boat and anchor in a secluded bay to read and swim. The lake remained unusually calm, but the significance of this was not to be understood until that evening.
We called our sons after they finished work to see if they wanted to join us. We started the boat to make our way back to pick them up from our dock, but as my husband put the boat into drive, it would not engage. I called our sons, and they said that they would launch the other boat at the marina slip and tow us back.
It was about this time that we noticed that both our phone batteries were getting low, and we had not brought cords to recharge them. The boys called us from the marina slip to say that the propeller would not lower into the water. Using video chat, my husband talked them through what to do, and then his phone died. After a quick switch to my phone, the call resumed, but immediately went dead.
By now, the sun was beginning to set. We both sat looking towards the horizon for any sign of a boat. I prayed, but felt calm, which is not my usual, natural state during a crisis, especially in the boat.
It seemed like an eternity until we saw the boat. Tow rope attached, we slowly made our way to the dock. We still had a task to get the boat released from the tow rope and into the dock without power. The calm waters remained, and we were able to complete the task. The sun had now set and we still had to take the other boat back across the lake and through the channel to the marina slip, about a 15-minute boat ride in the dark. Again, mission accomplished on the calm waters.
As I reflected on the day, I remembered that I had prayed, "Lord, send help." "Lord, help the boat to start." "Lord, help our sons to launch the boat to come and get us." As I spent time in prayer the next morning, the Lord showed me that He had answered my prayers, not in what I had prayed for, but in the calm waters and in the comfort and calmness that comes from my relationship with Him amidst the crisis. This prompted me to reflect on the first verse of Psalm 20.
Psalm 20:1 – May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. (NIV)
How often we don't see the hand of the Lord in situations! The Lord showed me through my time in prayer that we can trust Him to answer our prayers in a way that He sees the need to be. Can you trust Him to do that?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we cannot thank You enough for Your care and love for us. Help us in all situations to draw closer to You. In Your name, we pray. Amen.
Forward this devotional Share on Facebook
About the author:
Julie Bowles <julieanni@rogers.com>
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Send your feedback to the author
Yea!!
AMEN! Julie.
Thanks for the encouragement, Julie.
It is as you have said, Julie. Blessings.
So well said, Julie! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Julie, take care and have a good day. Blessings.
Our faith is our comfort and guide – gratitude is a part of our faith.
Thank you for your faith filled devotional today, Julie.
Grace and Peace to you!
Thank you, Julie. Praise God that He rescued you and gave you peace during the process. May we all trust in Him to do so.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us today! To God be the glory! Glad you’re home safe and sound. Blessings.
Good morning, Julie,
Thank you for this reassuring and encouraging message.
God bless.
Praying verses learned in times of “calm” certainly helps in times of storms!
Thank you, Julie, for a reminder to keep in the Word!
(BC)
Thank you for sharing today, and it also made me think of verses in Psalm 37 that were in a devotional today. I had marked that Psalm especially and saw that I shared it with a friend 27 years ago. How the Word of God makes a difference in our lives. Blessings.
Thank you, Julie, for your very positive and consoling words today. Yes, we need be so thankful each and every day that the Lord is always available to hear and answer our prayers and He is ever deserving of our praise. Blessings for these writings you do.
Good morning, Julie,
Definitely a very important message to remind us to always draw close to God in all situations. We can trust Him to be there in His own way. Definitely that was a lot of things going wrong at the same time. Thanks for sharing your experience and how God was there for you, and you thanked Him. Blessings.
Beautiful experiential example of His wonderful care. We shouldn’t be amazed, but I always feel so surprised and amazed and SO grateful when I realize that it was HIS oversight that brought me through difficult situations. Those memories are a great RESOURCE for us as we find ourselves in dark valleys. Thank you for such a beautiful picture of ‘calm in the storm’.