I Have Seen The Pilot

† I have Seen The Pilot †

Mariners tell of a story about an old square rigger sailing ship which found itself hard pressed on a lee Shore

For you landlovers - a lee shore is a dangerous shore which the wind is blowing toward and any ship said to be on a Lee Shore is one which finds itself in the unfortunate position of being between the wind and the Lee shore. If they are unable to claw their way back out to sea they are often lost- pushed upon these dangerous shores by the wind.

The sailing ship of this story had found itself on a lee shore in a blinding gale. The treacherous lee shore was littered with rocks and a menacing reef. They had clearly lost the battle and the crew and captain had gathered below - out of the storm - their demise seemed certain as the ship was battered closer and closer to the booming surf and its doom.

Far reaching Ships of old often carried as a member of their crew, a man called -The Pilot. They were very knowledgeable men who possessed valuable books called Rutters - these books contained much valuable knowledge and were extremely cherished. Pilots in those days were often Portuguese, who where well known for their prowess as Pilots, and a Portuguese Pilot’s Rutter was said to be worth its weight in Gold.

The Pilot was responsible for advising the captain on matters of safe passages, well protected harbors for anchorages, ocean currents and generally all of the things a captain needed to make safe passages in waters unknown to him. The knowledge for these things the Pilot carried in his Rutter .....it possessed the knowledge of any area the Pilot had previously sailed in as well as the collective knowledge of fellow Pilots who had sailed the world and amassed much knowledge that they painstakingly entered into their Rutters and traded amongst their brethren Pilots.

Our ship in this story lost upon a Lee shore appeared to be near its end when a brave crew member ventured above ......there he found lashed to the helm, in prayer, the ship’s Pilot. Desperately fighting the ships way inch by inch off this treacherous lee shore as gale washed waves tore at him.

The crewman returned below to the gathered crew and captain ...... and began yelling ....

"All is well, All is well......I have seen the Pilot and he is Smiling."

The Captain and crew returned to the deck and working with the brave Pilot saved their ship from what had appeared to be certain doom.

We as Christians have a Pilot ......a great and knowledgeable Pilot who well knows the many courses that we will be required to sail in our lives. That Pilot is Jesus Christ .... and He, and the Father, have given us a most valuable Rutter to protect us and guide us in our many voyages and dilemmas .

It is known as the Holy Bible, and like a Portuguese Pilot’s Rutter it is also well worth its weight in Gold. Properly used it will guide us through the many storms in life and give us safe passage and peace of mind where others might falter and be lost. It provides us with safe anchorages for our life and the knowledge to weather life’s many storms. Yes and by good preparation to avoid many of them.

Those that we shall be required to endure we will learn from...... better preparing ourselves and our crews for life’s future storms.

To you who currently find yourselves tempest tossed and besieged by difficulties, dilemmas and uncertainties. To you plagued by depressions, hopelessness and with a sense that life’s storms have put you on a dangerous lee shore .....to you I say .........

"all is well ......for I have seen the Pilot and He is Smiling."

He is smiling at you....... so reach out for Him and let His Rutter worth its weight in Gold begin to guide you to calmer waters.

I speak not as a member of the crew but as an able and brave captain who has found himself on dark and foreboding lee shores, battered by gales and quite certain that his ship was doomed and would be lost, but who now finds himself in calm waters with the assurance of good voyages to come. Guided by the Heavenly Pilot - Jesus Christ - my course assured, my sails full of peaceful winds and my bow riding friendly currents. My crew of Christian Fellowshippers full of faith and God’s graces, and with assurances that our course is well guided, our ship tight, and our sails well trimmed.

There will be other storms, but we shall weather them, and like the Pilot shall do so smiling.