Nancy Hughes: Places you don't want to be

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”

Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

My mother’s favorite childhood memory was getting up early to go with her father, my grandad, as he fished in the river near the family cabin. Her job – and she loved it – was to row the boat as he threw out his line.

Mother said Grandad always reminded her that oars had to work together, in unison, or the boat wouldn’t stay in the middle of the river in deeper water. 

“If you want to go in a straight line,” he would tell her, “you have to use the same amount of strength in each arm to pull the oars through the water. If your left oar is pulled back harder than your right one, you will get off course in seconds.” 

Then he would warn her “The oars always have to work together or you will find yourself in places you don’t want to be.” If she forgot to listen to his advice, they would end up either spinning in a circle or in shallow water with large jagged rocks, a bank full of branches . . . and snakes.

And what would her father do when she got off course and didn’t follow his warning? He would gently but firmly tell her to look at her oars. 

“Are you pulling with the same strength in each one? No. Look at the middle of the river. That’s where you want to be. Row back to that place and start over.”

That sounds so much like my life. If the “oars” that I use to get me through each day are from the world instead of the Word, I am going to spin out of control and get off course. Let me explain.

If one of my oars is faith and the other one fear, I will struggle through life because they will work against each other. The oar of faith will push forward as the oar of fear pulls backward. And the outcome will be as my grandad warned: “You will find yourself in places you don’t want to be.”

Faith pulls me through each day and tells me “Hang in there; hold on to the Lord. It may be rough for a while but you will get through!” But fear screams “You aren’t going to make it! Give up! Quit!”

Where are you today? Rowing in the middle of God’s plan for your life or headed for the jagged rocks, branches and snakes? I encourage you to exchange the oar of fear for one of trust. Call on the Lord to help you pull through whatever is in your path. He alone can replace fear with faith and trust to keep you from places you don’t want to be.

Father, please help me to stay in your Word every day. I need the strength to face life’s challenges and it can only come from you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

R.A.P. it up . . . 

Reflect 

Do you ever find yourself in a situation in which you seem to be going in circles and not making any progress?

What “oars” are you using to strengthen you? Faith and trust? Or fear and panic?

Apply 

Journal the words “faith/trust” and “fear/panic” in two columns.

During your prayer time, journal situations in your life that you are facing and the results of each one if you react with faith and trust or with fear and panic.

Power 

Isaiah 43:2 (NIV) “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”

Mark 4:39-40 (NIV) “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Philippians 4:13 (NIV) “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

(For more of Nancy Hughes' writing, check out her blog, Encouragement from the War Room.)