In 2013 I spent my summer holidays on Sardinia, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. First we drove to the port of Genoa and from there we took the night ferry to the port of Olbia. Instead of spending the night in a cabin, we preferred sleeping on deck. While I was lying there, wrapped up in my sleeping bag, I looked into the starry night and listened to the sound of the waves and the strong breeze. My thoughts went back to Jesus on the Sea of Galilee.
He had lied down in the back of the boat, on the low bench where the steersman sometimes took rest. He must have been very exhausted! So much was demanded of Jesus, it is not surprising that, when he eventually did get some rest, he would fall into a very deep sleep indeed. The disciples were sailing happily across the lake, when a storm whipped up out of nowhere. They were scared for their lives. They thought they were about to sink. And, in the midst of all the problems, Jesus stays asleep in the back of the boat. So Jesus gets up and orders the wind, and immediately it dies down. A great calm comes upon the waters.
There are times in our lives when we feel at the mercy of the storm, when we feel as if our lives are as chaotic as the buffeting ocean. Perhaps a financial crisis, an illness, the loss of a beloved person. And we pray and pray and pray but sometimes it is as if Jesus is asleep. It seems that He doesn’t hear, no matter how loud we shout. . .
Back to my trip: The next morning I woke up early to witness a wonderful sunrise. From far away I was able to see our destination—the green coastline and the harbor of Olbia. All of a sudden I noticed a little boat coming from the harbour towards our direction and I was curious about what was about to happen. It came as close as possible to our ferry; I saw a man grabbing onto a rope ladder and climbing it. I got to know that this was the harbour pilot. He is a boat pilot with specialized knowledge of the harbour. His work consists in directing large ships into a port where there are specific deep water channels surrounded by shallower flats. Without his services there would be a real chance of running aground and damaging the ship and the cargo. He is on call, around the clock, every day. This made me realize: Jesus also wants to be our harbour pilot. He is very familiar with the currents and shallow banks of our life and knows the best way out of it.
“He understands every circumstance of our life. He sees and knows how we are situated. He is acquainted with all our sorrows and griefs. He knows us each by name, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities; for he has been tempted in all points like as we are, and knows how to succor those who are tempted. Jesus is our helper, and He will have a care for all those who trust in Him.” –The Review and Herald, August 25, 1885, par. 12
He doesn’t want you to run ashore like the cruise ship Costa Concordia did in January 2012 because it had been steered too closely to the rocks of an island. His promise in Isaiah 43:1, 2 is still valid for you today: “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.” When you fully trust Him, He will get your ship safely into port. “Then they are glad because they [the storm] be quiet, so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.” Psalm 107:30
In your life Jesus wants to be the port pilot who helps you to bring your ship to your heavenly destination.
Manuela Di Franca