The naval institute magazine published an interesting story about two battleships that were at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported: “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.” “Is it steady or moving astern?” asked the captain. “Steady, captain,” came the reply, which meant they were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain ordered, “Signal that ship: we are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.” Back came the signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.”
The captain said, “Send: I am a captain, change course 20 degrees.” “I am a seaman second class,” came the reply, “you had better change course 20 degrees.” By that time the captain was furious. He angrily ordered, “Send: I am a battleship, change course 20 degrees.” Back came the flashing light, “I am a lighthouse.”
The Lord Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He said, “I am the light of the world” he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” We need to set our course being guided by the light of the world.
Too many people are like the captain of the ship who want their own way and want Jesus Christ to change course to fit in with their way of life. Christ’s ways are as unchangeable as is the light in the lighthouse. The writer to the Hebrews tells us “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.”
Those who refuse to change course and be guided by the light of the world will end up shipwrecked. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Solomon rightly said, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
If we are too impressed by our own importance, and too proud to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and too set in our own ways to change the course of our lives, then we are doomed to sink into the sea. Isaiah describes the wicked as being, “Like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”
Paul talked about us “now seeing through a glass darkly.” We can not always see the next step due to the fog or smog or worldly pollution that is all around us, but we can see the light of Jesus piercing through it if we will but look unto “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Isaiah promised us that we would hear “a word behind us saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” With the word of God behind us and the Lord Jesus Christ having gone before us as the “way, the truth, and the life,” let us “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One