Day 7: God, Our Navigator

Psalm 73:24–25: “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”

Each Navy ship must have a navigator, and ours is no exception. They are indispensable! They plot our course. Not only that, they consider the weather, sea state, and any and all obstacles that could hinder a ship from performing its duties. Because of his importance to the ship, the navigator has a stateroom just a ladder-well away from the bridge. Navigators are senior in rank, and most have had the opportunity to command a ship at sea. Once I visited the bridge when we were experiencing particularly rough seas. (Even the size of our great vessel does not prevent us from feeling the motion of the ocean.) I stood there and watched as the navigator gathered information to map a more suitable course. Once the captain responded to his findings, the sea state changed and the motion subsided.

I have witnessed many of these attributes in the God we serve. God is never too far from the bridge (where we make decisions) in our lives. God’s wisdom is unquestioned as he plots our life’s course. When difficulties arise and our sea state worsens—a death, a tragedy, or just the normal harsh difficulties of our existence — God is able, if we listen and heed his advice, to find waters that are safe and calm. Remember to ask:

Chart my course, O navigator of my soul,
Give me grace to follow your will and put my own on hold.
I’ve made a place for you at the seat of my affections,
Reward me now with your constant love, grace, and protection!

Questions to Consider:

• How close do I allow the navigator of my soul?
• When advised by God, do I heed that advice?
• If not, why not?

Reflection for the Day:

• Think about what David meant in Psalm 91 when he refers to dwelling in “the secret place of the most high.”