Is Jesus In Your Canoe?

Prayer and praise are the oars by which a man may row his boat into the deep waters of the knowledge of Christ.  Charles Spurgeon

When was the last time you considered letting Jesus in your canoe? So you are rowing through life planning everything just how you think it should go and BAM!  Life happens.  Have you noticed how we have a tendency to want to do everything on our own?  We think we know what is best for us so we barge ahead without a thought to the consequences. 

One of the things that happens is we forget to ask Jesus to get in our canoe.  He is the first one we should look to for navigation. 

When I was in college a large group of family and friends would get together on a Saturday to go canoeing on the Calcasieu River.  We would pack food and drinks and drive to the location to rent our canoe.  I don’t remember exactly how many miles we would go but there were sand bars all along the river where you could stop along the way and eat or swim. 

It was kind of interesting how we always went with an even number of people.  Why?  It was much easier and less tiring if you had two people rowing.  One person was the main paddler and the other steered.  The currents on the river could pull you in the wrong direction quickly, so the person in the back of the canoe could steer you out of danger while the one in the front would keep your forward momentum going. 

We should do the same thing when it comes to navigating the rough waters of daily life.  We need to keep our momentum going forward but we need a guidance system in the back of our canoe. 

Remember Jesus getting into the boat with the disciples and telling them to throw out their nets.  When they threw out their nets they didn’t catch fish because of their great skill as fisherman, or because the tide was just right or there just happened to be a school of fish on that side of the boat.  They caught fish because Jesus was in the boat.  Let go and let Him be your navigator through rough waters.  He is the One who can get you through any storm.      

Prayer for the Day: Jesus, the first One I need in my canoe is You.  I don’t need to think twice about who I would choose to steer my life through troubling times.  I want You to be my navigator.  The One who points me in the right direction and all I need to do is keep paddling.       

Scripture:  Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  Luke 5:4-11