What’s In Your Boat?
This question, posed by Pastor Drew on Sunday, was reminiscent of the Capital One “What’s in your wallet?” campaign. Therein, Jennifer Garner asks her audience to consider whether the credit cards they hold are offering the security and perks that a Capital One card would offer. Do they have confidence in the credit cards they carry or should they consider making a switch? A serious question. Life is hard, and everyone needs a credit card that won’t let them down.
“What’s in your boat?” is also a serious question.
Following the miraculous feeding of the 5000, Jesus instructed his disciples to row across the Sea of Galilee while He spent some time alone in prayer. The men struggled against a strong headwind and were then terrified when Jesus approached… on foot. The storm produced despair and fear, which increased at the sight of Jesus, whom they believed to be a ghost. In the face of this trial, was there anything “in their boat” they could rely on? Anything that would inspire confidence?
Sunday’s sermon made the supposition that the disciples DID have something in the boat. Given that the disciples immediately left the feeding of the 5000 to embark on this perilous journey, Pastor Drew suggested that they likely carried with them the twelve baskets of leftover bread collected after the people had eaten their fill. I’d never given a moment’s thought to what happened to those baskets but I know at my house, leftovers are always packaged up to be served again! They are never discarded! So it is entirely likely that the boat cargo included those tangible reminders of the very recent and very confidence-inspiring miracle.
In the face of difficulty, when we need to lean into our faith, it is helpful to remember why our God can be trusted. How has He shown up in the past? How have we seen evidence of His presence in the world around us, in our own lives, and in the pages of Scripture? What’s in our boat to inspire us to keep rowing through a storm? What might even give us the courage to step out of the boat to walk on water?
Ever heard of an Ebenezer? Mentioned only three times in the Old Testament, Ebenezers are called “stones of remembrance” or “stones of help”. The prophet Samuel erected an Ebenezer after the Lord helped Israel defeat the Philistenes, stating “thus far the Lord has helped us”, (1 Sam. 7:12). It was placed in a prominent location to serve as a visual reminder that God could be trusted in any circumstance. If He helped them win this battle, He could help in any future battle.
Do you have an Ebenezer…something to remind you of a time when God was unmistakably present? Like the Israelites before us, we too easily forget who our God is. We are no different from those who witnessed the miracle of the plagues and the Passover and fretted days later as the armies of Egypt approached. And we are no different than the disciples who witnessed the feeding of the 5000 and then panicked hours later in the face of a storm and a ghost.
We need to REMEMBER.
In the midst of a storm with the wind in our faces, we must take stock of what’s in our boat, take courage, and keep rowing. We’ll soon see our Savior coming, beckoning us out onto the water.
~ Melissa Gibbs has been a member of LIFE Fellowship for over 10 years, is the mother to four boys and widow of the late JD Gibbs. She also is a founding board member of Ambassador Christian School.