Reason #941
We went to see the Titanic musical tonight with some of our friends. Let me just say, the movie and the musical are completely different. There was no Jack or Rose in the musical, and they left out the 6 minute Celiene Dion song. But, honestly, if I had to pick, I'd choose the musical over the movie. I think it probably portrayed the event more accurately, and even though I knew how it was going to end, I couldn't help but feel sad as the second act unfolded.
The Titanic wasn't supposed to end up a ship wreck. It wasn't supposed to sink. They had great plans for this ship, and those plans did not include a resting place on the bottom of the ocean floor. The plans were to get the passengers safely to America, not tragically lose the majority of them at sea. But sometimes, in life, ice bergs get in the way. You know what I mean, those huge, threatening obstacles pop up. And if we're not wise, if we aren't prepared, we very well may end up with a ship wreck on our own hands.
The Titanic knew about the icebergs. They had been informed multiple times about the dangers that stood in the ship's path, but they wanted to get to America as fast as they could so the ship could gain attention and notoriety. They ignored the warnings for the sole fact that those calling the shots were most concerned about following their own plans. Yet the real problem wasn't necessarily the timing as much as it was pride. This was the unsinkable ship they thought. A few little icebergs weren't going to be that much of an issue.
They probably sailed past iceberg after iceberg. I bet a lot of the icebergs didn't stand a chance when coming into contact with the ship. But there was one iceberg. An iceberg big enough to do some serious damage. An iceberg they hadn't prepared to encounter, and the moment they saw it, it was too late. After a failed attempt to dodge the iceberg, the ship was fatally damaged and began to sink. Sure, they had put some safety measures in place, but they weren't going to do the trick. This ship was going down quickly, and their hopes of making it off alive were slim.
There were lifeboats. Thank goodness for the person who thought to put boats on a boat. Yet there weren't enough lifeboats. More than half of the people on the boat were dead men walking, and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. The icy waters taunted them, as I'm sure the cold air stung more than ever. If only they had been prepared. If only they had put enough life boats on the ship so that everyone was able to get off safely. But no one thought an unsinkable ship would need a method of escape. How silly to plan for a ship wreck when you're invincible.
Ships sink. Sometimes the unthinkable happens. But we walk through life feeling pretty invincible. We think that we don't need to worry about or prepare for the things that lie ahead. We'll just power through and make our own plans, certain that it will all work out as we've imagined. But sometimes things lie ahead that we aren't prepared for. And if we're fortunate enough to receive advanced warnings, we should heed them. Yet even if we don't have advanced warning, we should be prepared. Because the truth is, life is going to throw an iceberg in your path at least once. Who knows what it will be, but you're not guaranteed smooth sailing. And when the unthinkable happens, you need to have a lifesaver. You need to be prepared, and the only way to do that is to start preparing in advance so that when crisis kicks in, you'll make it out alive.
Sometimes we think we only need Jesus when our ship is sinking. You need Jesus all the time. Don't wait until you're going under to start trusting Him. Don't start clinging to His plans when yours are clearly failing. Start clinging to Jesus now. Start trusting Him now. Seek Him even when you are sailing in clear waters. Draw close to Him when things are going good. Learn His word, follow His lead, and get to know Him more and more every day. Because Jesus is your lifesaver. And when your ship starts sinking, you'll be okay. Sure, you may have to endure some terrifying and uncomfortable circumstances, but He'll keep you afloat. You won't have to panic and be filled with fear because you already know He will take care of you. He'll give you the hope you need to hang on and the strength to be able to do it. Jesus will make sure that you make it out alive because all who trust in Him have eternal life. Just because your days end here on earth doesn't mean your life is over. Jesus will be the one who will get you through the ship wrecks of life. He will be the one to guide and direct you into safe waters. So let Him and thank Him for the fact that whether we sail or sink, Jesus is there.
#941 - Because He is our lifesaver.
"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." - Psalm 18:2
The Titanic wasn't supposed to end up a ship wreck. It wasn't supposed to sink. They had great plans for this ship, and those plans did not include a resting place on the bottom of the ocean floor. The plans were to get the passengers safely to America, not tragically lose the majority of them at sea. But sometimes, in life, ice bergs get in the way. You know what I mean, those huge, threatening obstacles pop up. And if we're not wise, if we aren't prepared, we very well may end up with a ship wreck on our own hands.
The Titanic knew about the icebergs. They had been informed multiple times about the dangers that stood in the ship's path, but they wanted to get to America as fast as they could so the ship could gain attention and notoriety. They ignored the warnings for the sole fact that those calling the shots were most concerned about following their own plans. Yet the real problem wasn't necessarily the timing as much as it was pride. This was the unsinkable ship they thought. A few little icebergs weren't going to be that much of an issue.
They probably sailed past iceberg after iceberg. I bet a lot of the icebergs didn't stand a chance when coming into contact with the ship. But there was one iceberg. An iceberg big enough to do some serious damage. An iceberg they hadn't prepared to encounter, and the moment they saw it, it was too late. After a failed attempt to dodge the iceberg, the ship was fatally damaged and began to sink. Sure, they had put some safety measures in place, but they weren't going to do the trick. This ship was going down quickly, and their hopes of making it off alive were slim.
There were lifeboats. Thank goodness for the person who thought to put boats on a boat. Yet there weren't enough lifeboats. More than half of the people on the boat were dead men walking, and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. The icy waters taunted them, as I'm sure the cold air stung more than ever. If only they had been prepared. If only they had put enough life boats on the ship so that everyone was able to get off safely. But no one thought an unsinkable ship would need a method of escape. How silly to plan for a ship wreck when you're invincible.
Ships sink. Sometimes the unthinkable happens. But we walk through life feeling pretty invincible. We think that we don't need to worry about or prepare for the things that lie ahead. We'll just power through and make our own plans, certain that it will all work out as we've imagined. But sometimes things lie ahead that we aren't prepared for. And if we're fortunate enough to receive advanced warnings, we should heed them. Yet even if we don't have advanced warning, we should be prepared. Because the truth is, life is going to throw an iceberg in your path at least once. Who knows what it will be, but you're not guaranteed smooth sailing. And when the unthinkable happens, you need to have a lifesaver. You need to be prepared, and the only way to do that is to start preparing in advance so that when crisis kicks in, you'll make it out alive.
Sometimes we think we only need Jesus when our ship is sinking. You need Jesus all the time. Don't wait until you're going under to start trusting Him. Don't start clinging to His plans when yours are clearly failing. Start clinging to Jesus now. Start trusting Him now. Seek Him even when you are sailing in clear waters. Draw close to Him when things are going good. Learn His word, follow His lead, and get to know Him more and more every day. Because Jesus is your lifesaver. And when your ship starts sinking, you'll be okay. Sure, you may have to endure some terrifying and uncomfortable circumstances, but He'll keep you afloat. You won't have to panic and be filled with fear because you already know He will take care of you. He'll give you the hope you need to hang on and the strength to be able to do it. Jesus will make sure that you make it out alive because all who trust in Him have eternal life. Just because your days end here on earth doesn't mean your life is over. Jesus will be the one who will get you through the ship wrecks of life. He will be the one to guide and direct you into safe waters. So let Him and thank Him for the fact that whether we sail or sink, Jesus is there.
#941 - Because He is our lifesaver.
"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." - Psalm 18:2