Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—a great reading at the beginning of any day or week.

 

Occasionally I hear about someone who has said, "There is no hope for me and my situation. I have sinned too deeply for God to ever forgive me." We know this is not true, of course, but not everyone believes it about themselves. They have been deceived into thinking that there is no chance for them in life, and they have no hope of spending eternity in heaven.

 

There is hope. Scriptures are full of words of encouragement for lost people. Everyone's favorite is Romans 8:38, 39:

 

 "I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 

In spite of this direct assurance from God's word, there are some who say it doesn't apply to them. I have always been attracted to the words of Frederick Lehman's song of testimony, and particularly the last stanza:

 

"Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure—he saints' and angels' song!"

 

The title for this week's "Tuesday Morning" is Deep Water Sailing. Read on whenever you are ready, and then set sail into the deep water, where God's grace and mercy can be found.

 

Tom Barnard

A Senior Sailor

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The Deep Water

Tom Barnard

 

ecently I came across an essay in a forty-year-old Christian periodical that caught my attention. It told the story about a river pilot with many years experience on the Mississippi River who was greeted by a friend with the remark, “I suppose you know where all the rocks and sandbanks are.” The pilot responded, “No, but I know where the deep water is.”

 

This simple exchange between friends reflects two attitudes toward life. One attitude is being willing to take some risks while avoiding the dangers (of the rocks and sandbanks). The other attitude prefers to stay so far from danger that rocks don’t matter. Sure, there is sand below and rocks as well, but when you chart a course in deep water, your attention is on other things—the pleasure of the journey, for one thing. Shallow-water sailing requires one to be “problem conscious.” Deep-water sailing frees one to concentrate on the joy of sailing. The surest way to avoid the rocks and sandbanks is to steer toward mid-stream.

 

In life, there are many rocks and sandbanks—too many, actually, for anyone to know them all. If one sails close to the shore (a metaphor for the world) the temptations and distractions are many. The shore line is never straight and clear of obstacles. Rocks on the surface can be seen, but rocks beneath the surface are invisible to the eye. Then there are fallen branches, discarded items, and animals that roam the shoreline. It is easy to focus on the beauty just beyond the shore—rock formations, shrubs, trees, and wild flowers—and completely forget about the dangers of straying too close to the shoreline.

 

On the other hand, there is usually one main channel—just one location where the water is deep. The old preacher was right—there are hundreds of ways to miss the mark. There is usually but one way to find it. And that is to chart a course to where the water is deep.

 

We all have friends who have allowed their craft to hug too closely to the world. To be sure, there are attractive things to be seen there—excitement, relationships, fun, thrills. People attracted to the shore recognize there are some risks attached to spending time there. Some chance-taking. Some occasional failures. Some yielding to temptations, some line-crossing. They argue that life is a game to be enjoyed. They say they will know when they have gone too far. They think there is always a way back to the main stream—the deep water. Far too often, they are trapped before they know it. The results are devastating. Loss of integrity…loss of innocence…loss of reputation…loss of family…loss of meaning in life.

 

On the other hand, we all have friends who have opted to remain in the main stream—where the water runs deep.  They have chosen to sail free from the things that can trap and crush them. The old gospel song says it well:

 

Freedom from all the carnal affections; Freedom from envy, hatred, and strife;

Freedom from vain and worldly ambitions; Freedom from all that saddened my life!

Freedom from pride and all sinful follies; Freedom from love and glitter of gold;

Freedom from evil temper and angers—Glorious freedom, rapture untold!

Freedom from fear with all of its torments; freedom from care with all of its pain;

Freedom in Christ, my blessed Redeemer, He who has rent my fetters in twain!

 

Where does freedom exist? Where the river runs deep. Away from the places and people that tempt. Far from the habits that entrap. A distance from greed and jealousy. Miles from failure. In the deep water.

 

Friend, let me ask you a question. Do you have loved ones who are risking everything for a new thrill? Do you know of friends who are placing their family at risk with their habits and actions? Are there people in your life who are pulling you toward the risky excitements of the shore? It’s not too late. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save and guide to safety those who have drifted too close to the sandbars of life. Send this piece to a friend or loved one who is lost. They can be found again. Where the water runs deep.