Influencers Weekly Devotional
The Mast by
Bryan Craig
I love The Journey! After guiding 8 Journey Groups, including one Couple's Group, I can tell you it never gets old. A friend of mine asked me when we were going to come out with some new material to keep it fresh. I said, "You don't understand. That's like saying the Bible needs an update." I say this because all The Journey does is guide men to the Living Water, the Eternal Word, the Living God. His mercies are new every morning! So, every time I lead a Journey Group, and we go through the exercise of writing a letter to God, using the sailing, Holy Spirit analogy, I always participate. Yes, God has fresh revelations for me as a Guide, as a man on the eternal Journey, no matter how many times I've explored Him before. This year, God inspired me to write a poem. I share it with you. I pray it blesses you, and I pray you never stop seeking Him and His beauty!The Mast
I’m out to sea, I know I am, for I feel so far from home. I’m navigating new waters, from wave to wave I roam.
The sea is rough and so immense, it strikes, in me, such fear. It makes me grip too tightly to the things that I hold dear.
I know not where I’m going, I’m not sure where I’ve been. I know that I’m not entirely free from the ugly pain of sin.
I cannot see the shoreline, and the life I left behind. And I know I’m on a mission for a purpose I must find.
I look for where I’m going, yet nothing is in sight. I only see the sun and clouds and moon and stars at night.
I stand on deck and ponder life and how I got this far. I know it wasn’t simple fate or a wish upon a star.
My restless mind works aimlessly, just looking for some task. I think I must do some great work, though I wasn’t even asked.
I resolve myself to just be still; I fall down to my knees. I ask the Lord to show the way, it’s Him I wish to please.
In my prayer, the waves calm down, Sun gently warms my skin. And then a breeze comes my way like a welcomed long, lost friend.
It beckons me to lift my head and open up my eyes. I look up toward the heavens and see a figure rise.
In my view, the wooden mast stretches toward the sky. I never saw its shape before, and it nearly made me cry.
It formed a cross, so strong and tall, hovering high above. In that very moment, I’d never felt such love.
In a worship moment, my arms fell open wide. I gave my adoration to the One Who, for me, died.
In my praise, my thoughts were clear; I didn’t fear the sea. There was no other place that my soul desired to be.
I was content. I didn’t care; I needed nothing more. No longer yearning for the things I left back on the shore.
In that peace, a gust of wind came blowing in so strong. Its whistling sound struck my ear like a new praise song.
Then I saw on my boat, a beautiful new sight. There appeared a mighty sail, so pure and so white.
It embraced the wind and billowed out, full of salty air. It thrust the boat and knocked me down, though I didn’t care.
The wind and sail and the boat moved swiftly through the sea. There seemed to be a smoothness in this newfound unity.
I felt as one with the Lord, a smile wouldn’t leave my face. The Journey now had just begun; there were new dreams to chase.
I know that there’ll be storms ahead and many cares to cast. But I will know beneath my sail, there stands that sturdy Mast.