Tugboats

Whether it’s up and down the Fraser River near where I live or elsewhere around the Lower Mainland I enjoy watching the activity on the river.

One of the things I enjoy the most is watching the tugboats do their work. They can turn huge ocean liners and takers around and guide them safely to harbour.  If you haven’t seen it for yourself you would be amazed at the length of the log booms they move up and down the river.  And then there are the barges that are loaded down with sand or scrap metal or whatever else they are hauling. The tugboats seem small but the power of the engines they have onboard is amazing. 

It reminds me of the fact that some things that seem small can be used by God, in His wisdom and power, to do great and even seemingly impossible things. Listen to these encouraging words from the Bible:

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-31

What looks huge on your horizon today?  What situation seems impossible in comparison to the resources you think you have. Today is a good moment to ask God for His plans and then to go forward with courage based on His guidance and power. As the verses we read say, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Well Lord, we never quite understand why you choose to do things in the way that you do but we’re grateful. 

We’re grateful that we don’t have to know a lot or feel strong, in order to do all that You have in Your good plan for us to accomplish today.  In fact it’s best when we acknowledge that we don’t know all that much and we are weak, so we can rely on your strength. That’s what we choose to do today.

We may feel like tiny little tugboats but Lord we know that you can give us the power to accomplish great things. Use us today, Lord, we pray, to show the beauty of Your ways to others.  Amen 

So, we may seem foolish to others for trusting God to do great things through us today but God is ready to use us.  Are we willing to surrender to His power and His ways today?