The Unsinkable Ship by Gerald Van Horn
Isaiah 55:8-13
v.8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord.
v.9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
v.10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
v.11. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
v.12. For Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all trees of the field shall clap their hands.
v.13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not to be cut off.
God’s Word alone can expose the depth of the need of mankind. It can go beyond the soul right into the heart of even the hardest hearted person. The importance of God’s Word is no panacea or new principle. It is as old as God is. It cannot be denied. There is no literature in the whole world that can verify itself like God’s Word. It is infallible. It is unshakeable. It is unchangeable.
The writer, Isaiah, mentions several things based upon the unshakeable Word of God. It is an example for every child of God confirming His Word.
1. The rain and snow
No man can stop the rain or the snow from falling from heaven. The purpose is to water the earth and make it fertile. It does not need any help from man. We often call it the law of nature. Next time it rains or snows go outside and shout at the rain or snow to cease and see what happens. The neighbors may call 911.
The sequence is a wonderful thing. Rain, the snow, watering the earth, causing the bud to grow, which in turn produces grain or whatever is sown. The results are bread in the case of the grain. We somehow cannot come to grips with the process because when we need bread we just head to the store.
Even so is the Word of God. There is a transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Hebrews 1:1-3 “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,Jesus Christ, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Word does not come to us so that we can possess it. The Word must possess us. It must be applied to all the aspects of our lives. To fail in one part is to fail in all. God promises success through His Word. There is no such thing as 1/2 success or 1/4 success. It’s all or nothing.
God’s Word has purpose. It is powerful. It is fruitful. The Word can be reproduced in the life of others. It is never stagnant. It pushes forward in prosperity. It is like an unsinkable ship. It survives even on the roughest sea. Nothing can stop it. God’s Word will accomplish its purpose.
2. A picture of life without God.
Thorns are bad but briers are even worse. God can turn your thorns into a beautiful forest. God can turn your briers into a beautiful forest. Everything God touches flourishes. Life without God is a barren land, a desert of misery. It is unfruitful. Man in sin reaps nothing but futility. He’s heading into a blind alley. There is no way out except by God’s help. It all depends upon the unshakeable Word of God. Believe and trust it. The world may pass away but the Word of the Lord shall abide forever.
Illustration: The story is told of an unbeliever who wanted to see 18th century Evangelist
George Whitefield preach but did not want to listen to his message. Deliberately putting fingers in both ears, he watched the great preacher without listening to a word he said. But a stubborn fly landed on his nose, no matter what he did, he could not shake him off. He unplugged his ears long enough to shoo the fly away, and in those brief seconds, Whitefield proclaimed loudly, “Him who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The amazing timing of it so intrigued the man that he listened to the rest of Whitefield’s sermon and was saved.
3. Reaping the harvest of God’s Word.
The Word of God is like an unsinkable ship. They said that the Titanic could not sink but it did. God’s Word can sail the roughest seas. Hitler burned Bibles by the thousands yet it still stands as the World’s best seller. The sea is humanity with all their problems and difficulty. Do not be like Noah’s generation that perished when the floods came. Get on board the Gospel ship. You’ll be glad tomorrow you did it today.
It shall accomplish its purpose:
* It shall prosper in its purpose. It is based upon truth. It is based upon the integrity of the Speaker. If the Word does not prosper then God is the biggest liar that there ever was.The Creator of the universe, the Almighty God, stands behind His Word. He is unshakeable therefore so is His word.
* The product of God’s Word is joy. “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Nehemiah 8:10. Sorrow lasts for the night but joy cometh in the morning. When you sow God’s Word joy will fill your heart. If you plant joy you will reap joy. It’s the law of God’s Word.
* Another product of God’s Word is peace. Peace like a river. Peace is like a flood when it comes it will sweep over the soul. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”If you sow peace you will reap peace. It’s the law of God’s Word.
Illustration: A man has a piece property. It is filled with thorns, briers and thistles. One day he cuts all the weeds out and fences the property. He then departs. What was done? He found that it just makes weeds grow faster. It has to be plowed and planted with good seed. So it is with God’s Word. Hebrews 4:9-12 “there remains, therefore, a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The Word of God is an unsinkable ship. Get on board.
