“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6
Throughout life, we will encounter situations that stretch our faith. Hudson Taylor experienced one such state of affairs when he was sailing to China.
“A forenaught current was carrying us towards some sunken reefs and we were already so near that it seemed improbable that we should get through the afternoon in safety. After dinner, the longboat was put out, and all hands endeavored without success to turn the ship’s head from the shore. After standing together on the deck for some time in silence, the captain said to me, ‘Well, we’ve done everything that can be done. We can only await the result.’”
A thought occurred to me, said Taylor, and I replied, “No, there is one thing we have not done yet.”
“What’s that?’ he asked.
“Four of us on board are Christians. Let each retire to his own cabin and, in agreed-upon prayer, ask the Lord to give us immediately a breeze. He can send it as easily now as at sunset!”
The captain complied with this proposal because he was one of the Christians. I went and spoke to the other two men and after prayer with The Carpenter, we all four retired to wait upon God. I had a good but a very brief season in prayer and then felt so satisfied that our request was granted that I could not continue asking and very soon went up again on deck.
The first officer, a godless man, was in charge. I went over and asked him to let down the corners of the main sail, which had been drawn up in order to lessen the useless flapping of the sail against the rigging.
“What would be the good of that?” he answered roughly.
I told him we had been asking a wind from God, that it was coming immediately and we were so near the reef by this time that there was not a minute to lose.
With an oath and a look of contempt, he said he would rather see a wind than hear of it.
But while he was speaking, I watched his eye, following it up to the royal, and there, sure enough, the corner of the topmost sail was beginning to tremble in the breeze.
“Don’t you see the wind is coming? Look at the royal!” I exclaimed.
“No, it’s only a cat’s paw,” he rejoined. It’s a mere puff of wind.”
“Cat’s paw or not,” I cried. “Pray, let down the main sail and give us the benefit.”
This, he was not slow to do. In another minute, the heavy tread of the men on deck brought up the captain from his cabin to see what was the matter. The breeze had indeed come. In a few minutes, we were plowing our way at six or seven knots an hour through the water. And though the wind was sometimes unsteady, we did not altogether lose it until after passing the Palau Islands.
Thus, God encouraged me, ere landing on China’s shores, to bring every variety of need to Him in prayer and expect that He would honor the name of the Lord Jesus and give the help each emergency required.”
Prayer: Lord, you’ve promised to be our helper and our stay at all times. Let me not waste my energies on fretting but turn all matters – big and small – over to you in prayer. Amen.