“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” -William G.T. Shed

I admit I’ve been addicted to the show “Deadliest Catch” for a few years now. 

 It’s crazy, wild and it truly is a rugged dangerous living.  

I was watching one episode where one of the skippers had to bring their fishing vessel into port because of a mechanical issue.  The seas were raging and the weather was not desirable, but they had to get to harbor for safety and repairs.  Of course the tv show paints it with great drama and suspense, but in this instance they were extremely worried about getting to the docks and getting out of the storm.  

Are you in need of getting out of the storm in your life today?  

Has the storm been brewing around you for a while now, swirling and ebbing, crashing against your vessel and threatening to capsize you?  Do you feel threatened and exposed, fearful of being washed away?  

 we all need safe harbor!  I think the Apostle Paul felt this way many times in the midst of his persecution and imprisonment. He even knew a little bit about being literally shipwrecked (this happened to him not one or two times, but THREE times!).  He even wrote about it;  “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 

Safe harbor is vital for all of us to have.  Do you have a safe harbor?  Safe harbor needs to be a place where you can go and find rest.  A place that will shelter you from the storms.  A place where you know the storms of life can’t harm you.  Jesus said; 
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Safe Harbor is available – 

But we have got to be willing to act on it…to actually go to the safe harbor.  We have to be willing to admit that these storms are more than we can handle.  Admit that we need help and our strength just isn’t enough to get us through what we’re going through.  

 He waits for us to come to Him.  He doesn’t just want us to come to Him when we’re in danger…but that’s a start.  Sometimes we come to Him only after we’ve hit rock bottom.  Sometimes we come to Him only after all of our other resources dry up.  Yet He is always faithful!  He is always available.  

May I offer you a little ticket to the safe harbor?  

It’s just a gentle word of advice and help.  It’s a small thing that I’ve learned  I’m still learning…

Solitude with God: 

It might sound kind of funny, but being silent before the Creator of the Universe really and truly helps!  There is no better place to go than to God for guidance and for a re-connection with Him.

We live in a world where we are surrounded by sounds and noise every day.  There are distractions in our homes and in our workplaces…so how do we find these moments of solitude with God?  Is it even possible?  

Yes it is!  But the real question then becomes are we truly willing to seek out these moments with God?  Are we prepared to sit in silence before Him?  Truly finding solitude in God’s safe harbor requires us to devote or set aside purposeful time with Him.  Without our dedication to the practice of solitude we will find ourselves hopelessly bored and defeated by it.  You have to prepare your mind and your life so that you can actually sit in silence before  Him.  

Anything worth doing takes work.  An Olympian can’t simply show up to an Olympic event without first having spent countless months, days even years practicing and training.  So it is with the spiritual discipline of solitude.  It’s called a discipline for a reason.