Callahan departed from the Canary Islands in Napoleon Solo, a sailing boat (sloop) he designed and built himself. On the sixth day en route to Antigua, his vessel [pullquote4 align=”right” style=”width:300px;”]Launch out into the Deep
Launch out into the deep,
Your ship He will protect.
A fruitful cargo you will keep,
Your compass He will direct.
Launch out into the deep —
Billows of mercy and grace,
As you worship at his feet,
And seek His holy face.
Launch out into the deep —
The Shepherd awaits you now.
Your needs the Master will meet,
And no harm will He allow.
Launch out into the deep,
Be not afraid of wind or storm!
For your Master does not sleep;
Though your sails be ragged and torn.
Launch out into the deep,
He beckons you walk on water too.
The Master will not allow you to sink,
As you launch out into the deep.[/pullquote4]was damaged during a storm and sank, but somehow he managed to escape in a small inflatable raft. He survived for seventy-six long days because he had properly prepared for the worst by outfitting his life raft with an emergency kit containing food, navigation charts, a torch and materials for collecting rainwater.
While adrift, he spotted at least seven ships in the two sea lanes he crossed, but none of them saw him, and he soon came to the conclusion that he would never be rescued. Luckily, on the eve of his seventy-sixth day adrift at sea, he spotted a small island just southeast of Guadeloupe where some fishermen spotted him and picked him up. During his long ordeal at sea, he faced sharks, raft punctures, equipment deterioration and physical and mental anguish. Shortly after he was rescued, he was taken to a local hospital where he ultimately recovered. But even after his incredible ordeal and near-death experience, he continued to sail. Drawing from his experiences, Steven invented The Clam which is a folding rigid-bottomed inflatable boat with amazing and innovative survival capabilities which may be used by anyone who might find themselves stranded at sea.
You know, our Heavenly Father has created a similar life raft which also has the power to carry you through any storm. No matter how high the winds or boisterous the seas, the anchor that will always hold fast is Christ. When life doesn’t make sense, He is there. When you are feeling alone and hopeless and sense that you have run out of options, Jesus will save you.
The author of Hebrews said, “We have this hope.” You will note that it was written in the present tense meaning we have it now and continuously. Hope never leaves us and will never fail us, because it is rooted and grounded in His great love. Take heart, dear friend. God stands ready to throw you a life-line of hope that can reach to the very depths of your ocean of pain and pull you to safety.
Psalms 12:5 says, “Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the Lord. “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
This psalm furnishes good thoughts for bad times. The psalmist is telling us that when you are in need, when all around you is in turmoil and your wishes and dreams appear to go unfulfilled, God hears your cries, sees your tears and will comfort and protect you. The writer knew that there is no safer place than in the hands of our Father.
Psalms 32:7-8 says, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”
We are talking about the Lord being a spiritual haven and a place of retreat where we can find true peace. In this place of solitude, He removes all doubts and insecurities and replaces them with love, hope and strength. That’s a trade I’ll take any day of the week!
Who else is always there to offer a compassionate ear, a kind word and heartfelt assurance of a better day? Only in Christ are such things possible. Our heavenly Father leads us to safety and desires that we trust Him above all else for we are His children. In Psalm 32:8, God tells us, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.”
God’s flashlight provides hope and shines a bright light, strengthening our faith and letting us know that there is nothing that God’s love cannot accomplish.
