Is God Breaking Your Ships?
Some News You Can Use from Shelby Center
You can listen to the audio message here
Have you ever broken something to get someone’s attention? My mom broke an ashtray when I was young to break up a fight between my older brothers! She got our attention!
God breaks things too. And when He does it should get our attention. He does so to help, to hinder a bad choice, or to stop us from continuing in a bad decision or direction.
(Background: King Jehoshaphat was a great leader but gave in to a bad decision under pressure in the heat of the moment). Ever do that yourself?
So, God broke his ships to help without regard for the time, effort, or expense invested! (From 2 Chr. 20:35-37)
Consider some “ships” that God might be breaking or showing you that you need to break. Now is a good time to consider each “ship” in your life, find out what God expects, and act wisely:
1. Relation-ship (1 Cor. 15:33). Some are toxic, foolish, or dangerous, consuming, unhealthy…
2. Friend-ship / Companion-ship (1 Co. 15:33). Tear you down, take advantage, poor boundaries
3. Partner-ship (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Sexual, co-habit, business, financial, illicit activity, substance
4. Wor-ship (John 4:24). What/who do you worship, why? God breaks the idols to which we bow.
5. Workman-ship. The life and lifestyle you build may need to be broken so you can be fixed!
6. Marksman-ship (Gen. 11:3-8). The goals you aim at you’ll hit. Make sure they please the Lord.
7. Leader-ship. Who are you “following” and why? Endless likes can lead to a worthless life…
8. Member-ship. Who are you yoked to and why (club, religion, past, group, church, tradition…)
I’ve learned that God breaks ships for good reason. Thank Him for it and don’t repeat the lesson!
1 Kings 22:48-49 – Jehoshaphat said “no”, not again! You can too!
When you lack the power, will, ability, or opportunity to break those ships, ask Jesus to do it:
Ps. 56:9. When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: This I know; for God is for me.
Friend, there’s one “ship” that you need desperately. So, when God is allowing others to be broken, He’s driving you to the one you need the most and can never be broken: The Lord-ship of Jesus.
Today, right now, you can turn to Jesus in repentance and faith and let Him take charge of your ship. What’s God breaking in your life to get your attention? Turn it over to Jesus today:
Heb. 2:10. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Heb. 6:19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…
Have you ever broken something to get someone’s attention? My mom broke an ashtray when I was young to break up a fight between my older brothers! She got our attention!
God breaks things too. And when He does it should get our attention. He does so to help, to hinder a bad choice, or to stop us from continuing in a bad decision or direction.
(Background: King Jehoshaphat was a great leader but gave in to a bad decision under pressure in the heat of the moment). Ever do that yourself?
So, God broke his ships to help without regard for the time, effort, or expense invested! (From 2 Chr. 20:35-37)
- God uses ships. He used a ship to teach Jonah you can run from God but you cannot hide.
- He used a ship to to teach his disciples you can have peace in the tempest when Jesus is in the ship. He has all power over all things natural and supernatural. Be still and know.
- He used a ship to teach Peter you can walk on water to go to Jesus.
- He used a ship to teach that when He says cast the nets on the other side we should listen!
- He used a ship in the storm to teach us that what we fear is a ghost just might be God!
- He used a ship in the book of Acts to teach that what God values more than our stuff is a soul. The broken pieces of that ship is what got those souls to safety. God breaks ships!
Consider some “ships” that God might be breaking or showing you that you need to break. Now is a good time to consider each “ship” in your life, find out what God expects, and act wisely:
1. Relation-ship (1 Cor. 15:33). Some are toxic, foolish, or dangerous, consuming, unhealthy…
2. Friend-ship / Companion-ship (1 Co. 15:33). Tear you down, take advantage, poor boundaries
3. Partner-ship (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). Sexual, co-habit, business, financial, illicit activity, substance
4. Wor-ship (John 4:24). What/who do you worship, why? God breaks the idols to which we bow.
5. Workman-ship. The life and lifestyle you build may need to be broken so you can be fixed!
6. Marksman-ship (Gen. 11:3-8). The goals you aim at you’ll hit. Make sure they please the Lord.
7. Leader-ship. Who are you “following” and why? Endless likes can lead to a worthless life…
8. Member-ship. Who are you yoked to and why (club, religion, past, group, church, tradition…)
I’ve learned that God breaks ships for good reason. Thank Him for it and don’t repeat the lesson!
1 Kings 22:48-49 – Jehoshaphat said “no”, not again! You can too!
When you lack the power, will, ability, or opportunity to break those ships, ask Jesus to do it:
Ps. 56:9. When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: This I know; for God is for me.
Friend, there’s one “ship” that you need desperately. So, when God is allowing others to be broken, He’s driving you to the one you need the most and can never be broken: The Lord-ship of Jesus.
Today, right now, you can turn to Jesus in repentance and faith and let Him take charge of your ship. What’s God breaking in your life to get your attention? Turn it over to Jesus today:
Heb. 2:10. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Heb. 6:19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…