Jesus is your ballast in a sinking ship. The hope of God will always help you float.
SHAUNA: Hi, I’m Shauna on Joni Tada Sharing Hope. Not too long ago, Joni shared the secret to battling fear. Listen in and be blessed!
JONI: You know, if you’re like me, you have a certain respect for the troubles that come your way. Let me be honest. I have lived for years as a spinal cord injured quadriplegic. And I'm breaking all the statistics that say I should be dead [which makes me extremely respectful and grateful for each healthy day I enjoy]. It is amazing that I possess such a hearty constitution.
And as often as I find myself thanking God for the physical blessings I enjoy as a quadriplegic in good health, I also find myself constantly fighting off fear about the very same thing. As soon as I let down my guard; as soon as I don’t lean quite as hard on Jesus, fear begins to creep in and destroy my peace of mind. Sometimes I reflect on all the trouble I could be experiencing: Breaking one of my already-fragile bones, bladder bugs, lung infections, pressure sores, the growing specter of blood clots as I get older, uncontrollable spasms. Yikes! These are the kinds of troubles most quadriplegics wrestle with all the time. So, I just cannot – I will not – let those fears get “within me.” I know if I let them creep in, I would be sunk! I’d be flooded with dread. I would drown in anxiety.
It’s why I take great comfort in Eugene Peterson’s advice. Listen to what he writes. He says, “All the waters in all the oceans cannot sink a ship nor can all the trouble in all the world harm us unless it gets within us.” Isn’t that a fascinating picture? I mean, think of the weight, the power of an ocean to sink a ship! I mean that ship is tiny compared to all that water underneath it. It’s just bobbing along, skating on the surface, and doing fine for a ship. And all the waters in all of the oceans cannot sink it. It is completely safe as long as no water from the ocean gets inside that ship. If it occurs, that ship is doomed. And in the same way, all the troubles in the entire world cannot touch you and me, unless we allow them to get inside. We’re safe as long as we do not allow fear or worry to sink our hearts, submerge our peace of mind or plunge our joy into a flood of despair.
It’s why I'm so glad – and I bet you are too, that Jesus is the ballast in our ship. Let me explain that. When it comes to sea-going vessels, ballast is a heavy material like sand or lead that is placed low in the ship’s hold in order to give stability. With a heavy ballast, no amount of water can get in to sink the ship, it’s steady. So, when I say that Jesus is my ballast, I'm saying that he is my heavy material, as it were, residing deep in my heart and giving my life stability. This way, no amount of fear or worry can submerge me. With Jesus as your ballast, you are safe. So let the promises of God be the heavy material that keeps you stable today. Promises like Deuteronomy 31, where it says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.” And promises like 1 Peter 5, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” When you fill your vessel with promises like that, waters of trouble can never sink you.
SHAUNA: Are you in need of more of God’s promises today? Then visit us at joniradio.org where you’ll find all sorts of biblical encouragement that will help you battle fear and worry. Remember, you don’t need to let troubles get inside you. Go to joniradio.org today and thanks for listening!
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