Steady As She Goes
A Devotional
© 2001 Steve Lattier and Men's Help Ministries

That is an old Maritime phrase that the Captain or the Officer of the Watch would use to tell the helmsman of the ship that he wanted them to hold their present course and or speed. In our Christian walk there is a lot to be said for consistency too. Sure there are seasons of God and He will speed up or slow you down according to His plans but in the in between times we really should be more consistent that most of us are. It is easy to be consistent in our faith when things are looking up and all the bills are paid. When we struggle is when the opposite is true. Of course we are seeking God in bad times but our relationship isn't all that hot. When trouble brews we often fall away or whine and complain to God about our problems, not to mention pester our friends and family to an unceasing end on occasion! God is still God, still worth our worship even if our life has fallen apart. I, up until recently used an expression that went like this in times of trouble “praising the Lord anyhow.” While on the surface that sounds right or even admirable, it was actually quite immature in practice. It was however obedient, though it was not very heartfelt and there lies the lack of consistency. Our relationship with God is always up or down depending on how WE feel on any given day. Christian we must do better than that! God is so worth our worship and admiration every single day, no matter if we got up on the cranky side of the bed or not! When storms come and you are feeling a roiling bout of self pity coming on just look to scripture to see people who had it just as tough or worse even, then look at what they did!

The Word:
2Samuel 12:15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. [16] David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. [17] The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. [18] On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate." [19] David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead." [20] Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. [21] His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" [22] He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, `Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' [23] But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

Oh my! What a week! I don't think that I have had a single seven day period that measures up. I am not even sure that I would not fall away after experiencing what David and Bathsheba went through. David is prophesied to that his child will die for his own sin! That would be more than enough for all the rest of us! Then David must wait for the entire week while his child slips into deaths grip, fasting and praying all the while. Then David must go and continue on with being king and a husband! David was looked favorably on by God because of one thing, he was consistent. God told David what would happen and David prayed. God started the process and David fasted and prayed. God finished it and David cleaned himself and worshiped! David didn't pick up the phone and call his friends asking “what am I going to do??” He didn't cry out to God “why me, why me?” David never faltered nor did his view of God change just because things in his life were not to his liking. It is that self control that God looks for in his sons and daughters. He wants us to remember who He is in spite of what we have going on. Christian you must practice purpose! Sure while the bad things are happening pray! While things seem to be going wrong, then fast! But like David, when it is done then worship! Sure you may start out doing it by obedience, but don't stop there! Grow with God so that your heart is in a place that recognizes just how awesome God is even in the midst of travesty. There was another who had his priorities straight when lightning struck!

The Word:
Job 1:13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, [14] a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, [15] and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" [16] While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" [17] While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" [18] While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, [19] when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" [20] At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship [21] and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.* The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." [22] In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Whew lets tally that up so that we might grasp what happened in the space of about an hour. Job lost seven sons, three daughters, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, a large number of servants and a couple of houses! I am quite sure of two things. The first is that Job felt the loss of his children more than all his possessions. The second is that Job still reeled at the thought of the monetary losses he experienced. What was Job's response? Did he run screaming hysterically? No. Did he need therapy? No. Did Job perhaps give up on God, it would have been easy considering the circumstances? No. Job did four things, three of them speak hugely across time to us. The first thing Job did was he simply “got up.” The bible doesn't say that he jumped up or leapt up, he just got up. That, right there shows perspective and self control. Job was a mature Christian and with maturity comes self control. How often when we receive bad news do we “suddenly react” only later wishing we had not done or said that thing. The very next thing Job did was to tear his robe and shave his head. The torn robe was just a show of mourning at the time. When Job shaved his head it too showed purpose and calm resolve. There are several other passages that refer to people in Israel who tear out their beards and their hair in bad times, not Job! Then what did Job do? He worshiped! Awesome! Even though Job had just minutes earlier lost everything he realized that God was still God and that we were put on this earth to worship Him, no matter what is going on! Notice what that worship got Job in verse 22, it said that Job did not sin by blaming God. If we are busy about the business of worshiping God then it will be impossible to blame Him for our situation! We must strive for that heart condition, Christian! There was another who had it even more together than these two. This one set the ultimate example!

The Word:
Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." [37] He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. [38] Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." [39] Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." [40] Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. [41] "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." [42] He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." [43] When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. [44] So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

Jesus had it worse than David or even Job could conceive. Jesus knew the very hour that he would be handed over to be beaten and crucified. Jesus knew that his friends and companions for three years would scatter like rats leaving a sinking ship. Jesus knew that one friend would sit across from him and start cussing a blue streak and lie about even knowing him! Jesus knew that he would face death as a man and totally alone! Jesus did the only thing that he could, he showed purpose! He had consistency! He prayed! Jesus didn't just pray but he prayed right. Sure there was a rebellion of his flesh but he had full knowledge of where he fit in this great puzzle. He said what is was that he would like then he told God “ok, however you want it, that is what I will do!” Jesus knew that even though he was “neck deep” in what was about to happen that it had nothing to do with what he wanted and everything to do with what was best (God's will of course)! How many of you can say with confidence that you have submitted DURING a trial? Sure, we have all said afterward that we wish that God's will prevails. We aren't very good at admitting to God that we are ok with the fact, and some of you may just be realizing, that it really isn't all about us well, what we want and don't want anyway! The minute you can put down your wants and pray during your trials for God's will, you will have purpose! The minute you can worship God, just for being God, right after you get tremendously bad news you will have consistency. God will be able to look down at you and say “steady as she goes child!”


Pray with me: Father I am so sorry for putting my wants and desires ahead of your will for me. Lord I am not yet mature enough in my faith to pray for your will during life's storms. I have not gotten to that point Father where I can fall down and worship in the face of bad things. Grow those traits in me, Lord they are what made David a man after your own heart, they are what made Job a man among men, they are the same qualities that your own Son had. Give me purpose in adversity, give me consistency in crisis. Help me to be steady at the helm of my life with you as my Captain. I ask this humbly in Jesus name. Amen!

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