Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many of you probably know what a weather vane is, as they have been used by farmers since colonial times. It seems that whenever you take a long drive through the countryside you can normally find a few of them sitting high up on top of a barn, and constantly pointing into the wind. But back in the 1960s, they used the same concept to keep a sailboat pointed in the right direction. It became known as a hydrovane, which is a mechanical system that is connected to a rudder and by using the direction of the wind, independently steers a sailboat. All you need to do is set your sails correctly, and then once you engage the hydrovane, any change in the wind angle will automatically be detected by the vane and will turn the rudder on the ship to correct your heading. It’s like having somebody else steering the ship, correcting any errors or miscalculations in your course, so that your vessel continues going the right way.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
The Lord Jesus wants to keep each of us pointed in the right direction, and has given us the teachings of Holy Scripture for this very reason. But like a hydrovane, we must completely let go of the tiller, and allow them to guide our vessel for us. We must trust in God’s Word as it guides us safely through the darkness and keeps us on the path to eternal life.
2 Timothy 3 ¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: ¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
When you use a hydrovane, it requires a certain amount of trust because after all, you are giving up complete control of your ship. It’s like a pilot flying his plane through rough weather who has to trust in his instruments rather than in his own sight. A Christian must do the same thing by letting go and allowing God to take control of their life. We must allow Him to control our direction, our behavior, our thoughts and our activities. But in our human nature, we are the ones who want to be in control. We want to make our own decisions and follow our own heart, but the truth is that the heart of man is desperately wicked. To submit to one’s own heart is to go on a fool’s errand.
Jeremiah 17 ⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
To obtain eternal life, we must surrender ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit which is found in written form throughout the teachings of the new Testament.
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13
Scripture has been given to us so that we can correct our course, and get back on the right track, but the problem is that sinful man really wants to believe that he knows exactly where he is going! Oh what wretched men that we are, as this type of thinking is not only futile, but fatal.
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 16:25
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Proverbs 12:15
This is why we need to hearken to the teachings of scripture, because it is the path of Divine knowledge and the Wisdom of God.
“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Psalms 32:8
Psalms 25 ⁸ Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. ⁹ The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
In order to do the will of God, we must first yield to the will of God. It is a process of humble submission to His purpose and direction rather than our own.
Romans 6 ¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ¹⁵ What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ¹⁶ Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
¹⁷ But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. ¹⁸ Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. ¹⁹ I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
How many times have you been driving in a place that you were completely unfamiliar with? Did you pull over to the side of the road and allow somebody else to drive because they were from the area and knew exactly where they were going? This is the same way that we must yield to our precious Lord Jesus Christ. He knows the way to heaven, and we need to follow His instructions in order to get there.
John 14 ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. ⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Each of us is like a sailboat traveling through this world, but if we expect to make it all the way home to eternity, we must give over the control of our ship to the teachings of Christ. No matter how good of a sailor you may think you are, you will have to place your complete trust in Him, by letting go of the tiller and engaging….
…….The Hydrovane
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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