This is an email from one of my sons...

Burn the ships!

Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:58:52

This is something that I want to share.

 Please read and ponder!

Last Thursday while driving home I kept hearing a song in my head. It was a song I knew and had heard at church before. I began singing this song and started to visualize what the song was saying in my head.  The words were, “His love is like a river, full of grace, and it flows from Emanuel’s veins.” The best way to describe what I pictured is like this:

Imagine the  Cross of Jesus in the distance and a huge river in front of where you are standing.  This river starts at the Cross, but where does it lead?  It leads into the heart of God that is too far away to see.  For now all you see is a large flowing river.  This is not just any old river, it is a Divine River that can only come from God.  Now you hear the words, “I Am The Way, The Truth and, The Life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”  You start to understand that this River is The Way to the Father and the source of Truth and Life.  This is it! This is what you have been searching for, a place of true peace, joy and love; a place where all of your burdens and all of the stress of this world fade away. 

Knowing this, you decide to take a plunge into the River.  For the first time in your life you start to understand what love really is, and you know a peace and joy that you have never known before.  You think to yourself, “Why has it taken me so long to find this River…I never want to go back to where I was before.”  Then you look back to the River’s shore line, start to worry then think about all of the burdens your life is full of so you decide to go back to the dry land.

Now you are taking a “breather.”  You just need to map out the rest of your life, yet that dip in the River sure did help to put things in a new light.  You have known that you should change some things about your life and that should you start looking for ways to be a better person.  This is when you start feeling the stress and the weight of the world coming down on you again.  So, you decide to look back to the River because you know it can help you overcome these burdens.

This time at the River, you see a sign that says   “Warning: Burn the Ships and take the River…Hold nothing back and let go of everything.”  You start to wonder what this means.    This is when you notice something you did not see before, boats and ships of all sizes going up and down the River.  The people in these ships where very busy and most of them seemed very hard hearted and uptight.  They did not even see you standing at the edge of the River.  They were too involved in what they were doing to pay attention to anyone else. (The self centerness of life)  Now you start to wonder why these people were in ships or if they even knew what this River really is? 

You start getting close enough to hear what the people in the ships are talking about and you are surprised at what you hear.  You hear, “There had better be something good in store for me for taking this long trip. This trip had better be worth it, if this takes any longer I’m going back!”  Everything that you heard sounded very selfish and wrong.  “How come nobody is getting into the River,” you wondered.  “How did all of this happen?” “Why did they not see the sign?” Then you look to the Cross and ask ”How can I help them to Burn the ships and take the River…Hold nothing back and let go of everything?”  The last words you hear before you jump in is,   “To follow me you must dive in and never look back.”

This is a word picture that God gave me.  The ships represent Comfort, Pleasure , knowledge and earthly understanding.  The River is the love of God which is the Lord Jesus Christ.  The warning is for all of us who only enter into the River as long as we are comfortable with it.  Jesus does not want us to only enter into him with our own understanding and knowledge.  He wants us to put total trust in Him and let Him take us where He wants us.  We all feel comfortable in our own ship where we can navigate the River and turn back or go to the dock when we feel uncomfortable.  The ships represent all that holds us back.  There is a point in the River beyond which the ships cannot go.  The ships can only take you so far. 

Too many people turn to books or the internet or the nightly news for their knowledge/comfort.  The Eternal Knowledge of God comes from the depths of the River.  Have you been in your safe ship for too long?  Do you ever stop to think that if you would let go of everything you are holding on to in your life, He will provide?  I know that I have been in my ship for far too long and I desire to let go and hold nothing back.  What is stopping you from letting go?  What is stopping you from burning your ship?

“What is stopping you from taking the River all the way to the heart of God?” 

The choice is yours. The time is now. Our Time may be shorter than we think. Please join me in burning our ships so that we have nothing in our path to hinder us and keep us from taking in all that the River which is the Love of GOD; that HE has in store for us.

Lord and Master,

I ask that You will bless all who read this.  Please show us what we must do to let go and follow You.  We cannot do this in our own strength, knowledge, comfort or understanding.  Put in our hearts what you would have us do for Your Kingdom and Your Ministry.  Help us to be a light for others who do not know You.  Thank you for everything You are.  We give You all praise, honor and glory.  We give thanks for what You are about to do in all of our lives.  With faith, hope and love I pray, in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

I just felt like this was a message for everyone.  Please let me know if there is anything that I can pray with you or for you.

Matt O

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