Frederick William Robertson, an English divine once remarked: “In the darkest hour through which a human soul can pass, whatever else is doubtful, this at least is certain. If there be no God and no future state, yet, even then, it is better to be generous than selfish, better to be chaste than licentious, better to be true than false, better to be brave than to be a coward. Blessed beyond all earthly blessedness is the man who, in the tempestuous darkness of the soul, has dared to hold fast to these venerable landmarks. Thrice blessed is he who, when all is dreary and cheerless within and without, when his teachers terrify him, and friends shrink from him, has obstinately clung to moral good.” Ezekiel 13:13 states: “Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it.”
A tempestuous life is primarily characterized by strong, turbulent, or conflicting emotions. It encounters the normal "ups and downs" experienced by so many. Most people can cope with these as a matter of course, but for some, the impact can be too significant and burdensome. They can have cataclysmic effects and the normal bodily coping strategies fail. Anger and dismay will often take hold and some may walk a rocky path in total blindness. In times like these, certain people tend to forget that God is always available for them. They need His essential guidance to show them the way. Prayer can procure this need. Without it, they may become forlorn. In times of difficulty or pressure, some people are often unable to think rationally and place the problem into its true perspective. Storms in life are not uncommon, but if we focus on the positive elements of any bad situation, then the chances of a successful conclusion will greatly increase. Matthew 8:23-27 reminds us: “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
There was once a happily married man. Although at times he was considered an irresponsible gambler, he was a good husband. He enjoyed cruises especially on the Atlantic Ocean for the sun and bracing sea air. The utopianism of his holiday was usually achieved by frequenting the ship's casino at night for the adrenalin it provided. It is well known that gambling and emotions are closely linked in varying degrees, but on occasions, they can become turbulent. His wife was not a good sailor. She always refused to accompany him and much preferred the relaxation of beach holidays. On a particular Mediterranean cruise in which the liner was due to visit the countries of France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey, two days into the cruise, the purser of the ship regretfully announced that due to a severe technical problem, credit or debit cards would no longer be able to be used anywhere on the ship for the remainder of the voyage. The only form of payment that was acceptable would be cash. An apology was issued for the inconvenience caused. Amongst its many retail outlets, the liner contained a beautiful jewelry shop that sold exquisite but expensive items. He, as a loving husband, always liked to take home a little present for his wife as he felt that she missed out on what he considered the perfect holiday. He personally loved the life onboard a luxury liner, sailing the seven seas, and visiting many beautiful islands and countries that a cruise entailed.
On the third day of the cruise, he went into the shop to look around and noticed a particularly attractive bracelet which was priced at £1500. The total amount of money that he had left in cash with him was £1850 with a further six days remaining of the cruise. Proverbs 13:15 states: “Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.”
As the shop was unable to accept any credit or debit cards for their goods, sales had fallen dramatically on this particular voyage, and to attract potential customers, it was decided to introduce special promotions on certain items. The item selected was rather more than he wanted to pay, but he knew that his wife would love the bracelet, so he asked if he paid a small deposit, whether it could be kept on hold until the final day of the cruise to see how much money he had remaining. He was told that unfortunately, this was not possible, but that there was a special enticement on this particular item as part of a promotion. His mind went into a quandary. He informed the assistant that if he gave her the total amount due now, then he would have little money left for the remainder of his holiday. The assistant continued that on certain days when the ship was wholly at sea, the Captain of the vessel would predict the number of nautical miles he anticipated the ship would travel by a certain time the following day and an auction would be held during the evening in which people could bid. However, it was a rule that only one person was allowed to hold a ticket for a particular stated mileage. There was often a considerable amount of money in the pot at the close of bidding and the ticket closest to the estimated distance given by the Captain would win its entire contents. The average winnings were usually in excess of £2500. The assistant informed him that with this particular purchase, he would be allowed one free entry into the auction for a stated mileage of his choice with the distinct advantage that he would be able to choose the actual mileage he wanted before the auction commenced without the need for any bidding. If he was fortunate, he could win the entire cost of the bracelet back, plus extra. However, if he was prepared to pay an extra £200 at the time of the purchase, that entry would be increased to three separate bids. This would greatly enhance his chances of winning.
She then informed him that due to the clement weather, the Captain had estimated a total of 475 nautical miles for the following day. 1 Timothy 6:9 warns: “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." As a gambler, he considered this deal to be particularly attractive and so decided to proceed with the purchase of the bracelet. As the weather for the previous three days had been perfect with sunny skies and calm seas, he chose the same figure of 475 miles for his free entry with 465 and 500 respectively as his additional two bids. However, the weather in the Atlantic Ocean is renowned to be unpredictable and a few hours later the conditions deteriorated dramatically. A tempestuous storm arose which reduced the ship's speed significantly. The total distance traveled by the following day fell short of the estimated prediction by sixty nautical miles. He had wasted all of his bets. Grief, anger, and sufferance then encompassed him for his irrational thinking. Eventually, he decided that to enjoy the remainder of the cruise, the only option remaining was to try and recoup his loss by visiting the casino that evening. Unfortunately, misfortune seized him yet again and he lost the remainder of his cash. He now had five days of the voyage to endure without any money for drinks or shore trips. What a daunting prospect? Proverbs 13:11 reminds us: “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
Amen.
