Build Strong Boats
In the hallway of our home, my husband and I have a painting of ships at harbor. He spotted the piece a while back at a local store, and I purchased it for him for his birthday the year after we got married.
The painting is colorful and well done as far as paintings go, but our favorite detail about it is an inscription that was printed on the back of the canvas when we bought it. It read, “Don’t expect calm seas. Build strong boats.”
I think about that little inscription time and again and it makes me smile. While it isn’t the vital, powerful, life-giving Word of God, and cannot be relied upon as such, that little quote reminds me of so many places in God’s Word that speak of something similar.
In Ephesians 6:10 and following, it says:
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
There is wrestling. We know who it is against. There is a need for armor and there are wiles of the devil. There is an evil day to withstand in, and there are fiery darts. Yet, every Christian is absolutely equipped for all of these things as we believe and carry out the instructions in the Scriptures.
God’s Word says to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”. Therefore, I must choose to be strong. You must choose to be strong. But, our strength is to be in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
God demonstrated His power and triumphantly raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His own right hand. Our Lord, Jesus Christ was able to prevail by believing and obeying God and relying on His mighty power. That is the kind of mighty power that we are to be strong in… the very power of God that was able to raise up our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave and seat him in the heavenlies.
In another epistle addressed to the Church of God, Colossians 1:9-14, we read:
9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
God HAS delivered every Christian from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. We HAVE redemption through Christ’s blood. We HAVE the forgiveness of sins. These are things that are real and true about us because our Lord, Jesus Christ, allowed his own blood to be spilt so that it could be so.
As we are filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, we are able to walk in a way that is worthy of the Lord; we are able to be fruitful in every good work. As we increase in the knowledge of God, we are strengthened with might according to HIS glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.
Can you imagine yourself being infused with the power of God, according to His glorious might? This is real and it is available! It begins with a knowledge of God’s will.
Paul wrote by revelation in Philippians 4:13:
13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (NASB)
Regardless of the different circumstances he faced in this context in Philippians, Paul was confident that he was ready and equal to anything, by reliance on God Who strengthened him. This verse could read “I prevail in all (things) by Him Who strengthens me.” Just as Paul, we too can rely on Him Who strengthens us as we believe His Word. In every situation, we can rely on His sufficiency and supply of power to prevail.
We know so well that the seas may be calm one day and choppy the next. We can be sure that there will be rough seas some of our days. BUT, we are will equipped to prevail against any stormy sea as we believe the Word of God revealed to us in the Church and rely on God and His mighty power…
Psalm 89:8
8O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Proverbs 18:10
10The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Be strong! God loves you! I love you!
God’s Word says to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”. Therefore, I must choose to be strong. You must choose to be strong. But, our strength is to be in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
God demonstrated His power and triumphantly raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His own right hand. Our Lord, Jesus Christ was able to prevail by believing and obeying God and relying on His mighty power. That is the kind of mighty power that we are to be strong in… the very power of God that was able to raise up our Lord Jesus Christ from the grave and seat him in the heavenlies.
In another epistle addressed to the Church of God, Colossians 1:9-14, we read:
9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
God HAS delivered every Christian from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. We HAVE redemption through Christ’s blood. We HAVE the forgiveness of sins. These are things that are real and true about us because our Lord, Jesus Christ, allowed his own blood to be spilt so that it could be so.
As we are filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, we are able to walk in a way that is worthy of the Lord; we are able to be fruitful in every good work. As we increase in the knowledge of God, we are strengthened with might according to HIS glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.
Can you imagine yourself being infused with the power of God, according to His glorious might? This is real and it is available! It begins with a knowledge of God’s will.
Paul wrote by revelation in Philippians 4:13:
13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (NASB)
Regardless of the different circumstances he faced in this context in Philippians, Paul was confident that he was ready and equal to anything, by reliance on God Who strengthened him. This verse could read “I prevail in all (things) by Him Who strengthens me.” Just as Paul, we too can rely on Him Who strengthens us as we believe His Word. In every situation, we can rely on His sufficiency and supply of power to prevail.
We know so well that the seas may be calm one day and choppy the next. We can be sure that there will be rough seas some of our days. BUT, we are will equipped to prevail against any stormy sea as we believe the Word of God revealed to us in the Church and rely on God and His mighty power…
Psalm 89:8
8O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Proverbs 18:10
10The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Be strong! God loves you! I love you!