When I first went to sea about 13 years ago, life was very different. Communication with home was a million miles from what we have today. It was often very difficult to contact loved ones. We were very lucky if we were allowed to make a phone call back to the UK from the ship. We relied on letters that often came months after they were sent and phone calls from pay phones when we visited a port. But it was all we had, and we were used to it.
Today we can take for granted the ability we have to contact just about anyone at any time. In a world of Facebook, texting and mobile phones we often get used to the ability to contact our loved ones when ever we want. I have to admit, I’m a bit of a facebook addict! Anyone who knows me will agree with that!
Communication on a ship today is very different. We can send e-mails, make phone calls and we even have limited access to the internet. (No access to social media though!) It makes life away from home that bit more bearable, because although its not as quick as the communication we are used to at home, it is a lot better than nothing. And the ability to talk to our loved ones makes life so much better.
My girlfriend and I speak together a lot via e-mails, and when I say a lot, I literally mean a lot! Its how we met, how we got to know each other and how we have grown our relationship, because most of it I have been at sea.
As I said earlier, the communication system went down for maintenance for over 24 hours this week and that was it. No e-mails and no contact. I felt so cut off from her and I felt so alone. Stuck here thousands of miles away, I was constantly wondering, what’s she doing right now? I hope she is ok. Just basically missing her so much. I would have done anything to be able to just get one message through to her. I would have given anything to get a message from her telling me she loved me.
Some times I feel cut off from God, and I am sure many people feel like that as well. When times are hard, when we get bad news, or when something awful happens it can seem as if God does not care about us, that he is not listening to our prayers and that he does not love or care for us.
This feeling is even in the Bible as we can see by Psalm 42. The author clearly felt lost and cut off from God.
Psalm 42 (New International Version)
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
so my soul pants for you, my God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
4 These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
among the festive throng.
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
But as the Psalmist says in verse 11 we should not be downcast, we should continue to praise God, even when we feel our lines off communication with him are down. When we feel cut off and alone we should be praying harder, not abandoning our good habits of prayer.
Obviously the Psalms were written in the period of the Old Testament, but what the Psalmist says is as true today as it was then, God will be listening, God does care and he certainly does love us.
We have a major guarantee of Gods love. It can be found in the fact that he sent his Son to Earth, to die and suffer, although himself sinless, so that we may be set free from sin and from our pasts!
There are many references to this fact in the Bible. But rather than picking just one I wanted to post the chorus from an old Salvation Army song I love to sing. It’s off the top of my head so it might not be 100% correct!
SASB 48 (Chorus)
Gods love, is wonderful,
Gods love, is wonderful,
Wonderful that he should send his son to die for me,
Gods love, is wonderful!
So next time you feel cut off from God and His love hang in there! You will not be cut off, he has already paid such a high price to know and be with you. Pick up your Bible and look for the guarantees he makes to you in it. Pray and trust that he is listening. Because he will be.
The Sailing Salvationist.
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