It'll Do ... With Heavenly Help

It’ll Do…with Heavenly Help.

“But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
Luke 8:23-25 (NKJV)

When my wife and I decided to build the house we presently live in she had made the statement that if I went along with some of the things she wanted included in the building, I could get a boat. Well Brothers it might have taken ten years but there is a 1976 Boston Whaler in my yard. This boat has a great reputation and so does the 1986 Evinrude 35 hp 2-stroke outboard motor. Hey, she didn’t say what year, make and model this boat would be but I saw Boston Whaler (in a price range she was okay with and could haggle with) and that was that. The name on the boat is “It’ll Do” and I believe the Lord sent His message. ‘Nough said.

Now Kathy and I both took our Coast Guard Safety test, got the title, tags and all the other things that make us legal to go in Jersey waters and went on our maiden voyage. We packed up the boat with all the necessary gear, made sure the kids were briefed and away we went. This now concludes the land lubber part of the story here comes the salty dog part. First I have to back the trailer with the boat in to the water. This does not go well but the boat is in the water. I now start the boat, in gear and tied to the dock. Yes, Brothers, I almost took the dock with us. Praise God our friends D.J and his wife, Christina, happened to stop by to see how we were doing. Thank you both!!

As we get under way I am noticing that we are not picking up enough speed to raise the bow, let alone plane off. Then came the “NO WAKE ZONE” and yes while I “SLOW DOWN,” the boat stalls. Everyone is watching yours truly and the family do what they can to avoid hitting the can that says “NO WAKE ZONE”. I once again start the boat in gear without a dock tied to it and we are under way a lot slower than when we first started. We get back to the dock ONLY by the grace of God and now I have to back the trailer up etc…etc…etc. We go home and since that day I have found out what I have to do to make repairs to the motor and the control cables. That I can handle without being panicked. At least until I find out how much this will all cost.

It was what I heard during the class I took with the Coast Guard that kept ringing in my ears. “Don’t Panic!!” And as we were driving home I never noticed the quiet that was in my truck. But it was in this quiet that I hear the verse that I have started this whole story with. Not only was Jesus not going to panic, He was asleep during a storm. What would Jesus do if a whole river full of experienced boaters watched as His boat went through what mine did? Brothers, it was hard not to lose my cool but everyone was watching and I didn’t want my children to panic nor did I want to hear my wife panic. Were we all in deep prayer while this was going on? DUH!! It was God’s grace that got us back to the boat ramp. I could not do what was done under my own strength.

I may be on dry land now and able to look back with laughter but this was just another way that I believe God revealed Himself to me. Thank you Father…praise to You. Oh, I forgot to mention something to you all….my wife and children are very good swimmers. I am not. If you are on the waters don’t just bring a life preserver….wear it as if you were putting on the breast plate of righteousness, or maybe even Jesus Himself. -- Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent contributor to Freedom Fighter

Tomorrow night begins our Spiritual Enrichment Conference at 7:00 PM at the Colony Chapel. We'd love to have you join us for his special week. Call today for details: 732-350-1187

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 4; Job 30-31; Acts 13:26-52

Great Quote: “We need to keep reminding ourselves that without the Lord we can do nothing. It needs to become a habit of mind with each of us to tell the Lord as we tackle each task, ‘I can’t do this without your help, please help me’, and then to expect to be helped because we have admitted our helplessness, given up self-reliance and are now looking to Him.” J. I . Packer