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YOU'RE NOT OFF COURSE!
SARA WHITTEN, KERRVILLE, TX
JUST SAILING INTO THE WIND
Recently, I have noticed that there has been a palpable feeling of chaos and confusion around me. As I sat with the Lord one morning, He told me, "...
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YOU'RE NOT OFF COURSE!
SARA WHITTEN, KERRVILLE, TX
JUST SAILING INTO THE WIND
Recently, I have noticed that there has been a palpable feeling of chaos and confusion around me. As I sat with the Lord one morning, He told me, "You're just sailing into the wind." After a little research, what I found was both surprising and encouraging. You can't sail directly against the wind in a sail-powered boat. So in order to sail into the wind, you must take a zig-zag approach called "beating," which is part of a maneuver called "tacking" (similar to switchbacking when encountering really steep terrain on a bicycle).
In this process, it would appear that you are veering off course, since you're not pointed toward your destination; but actually, these strategic pivots enable you to sail against the wind. The keel (a small part of the boat that is out of sight and below the water) is responsible for stabilizing against the winds and steering. It's about how you position your keel and sails in the wind – not the direction of the wind – that determines your course.
During windy sailing conditions, the way you are facing can make all the difference in how you experience the weather. Sailing against the wind can give off the appearance of bigger waves and stronger wind. One sailing website even noted that it's common for inexperienced sailors to think the weather has worsened or that they have steered off course, but it's really just an effect of the wind! Sailing into the wind requires an experienced sailor because of the extended "discomfort" and "mental wear" of maintaining course in the presence of strong winds. A sentence caught my eye: "Less experienced sailors choose to sacrifice hours and miles in exchange for a good rest" (www.sailorscompass.com).
STRATEGIC, SPIRITUAL TACKING
I heard this as a call to perseverance and an encouragement from the Lord. If you have felt like things keep veering off course, only to get back on course before deviating again, this word is for you. Instead of spending your strength fighting adverse circumstances, there may be a strategic, spiritual "tacking" that the Lord has for you – perhaps a slight change in "angle" or approach that allows you to persevere even in the face of the storm.
The battle is in your mind. Waves and winds may appear larger and stronger when sailing into the wind, but the reality is it's only a perception. The Lord is calling you to not let problems and distractions of the enemy intimidate you into changing your course in the name of appearances. In reality, despite how it looks, there would actually be the same wind and waves on the path of compromise as there would be on the path of perseverance, but perseverance will keep you on course. As the Lord matures and renews your mind, you won't sacrifice direction for comfort and end up like inexperienced sailors, costing hours and miles. "But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind" (James 1:6).
So what is our keel? What keeps us on course? I find it no coincidence that the word "keel" is one letter off from the word "kneel." When we kneel, we are doing the two things that keep us sustained on our course: conversation with God and surrender. "Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires" (James 3:4).
Website: www.arrowsofzion.com
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Added
February 2, 2023
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