JESUS MY CAPTAIN
Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
[2] For by it the elders obtained a good report.
[3] Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
[6] But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
George Mueller was an evangelist and used greatly by God. Through his faith, it is said that Bro. George was able to care for and share the Gospel with over 10,000 orphans. He was also able to establish 117 Christian schools and give a Christian education to over 120,000 children. I do have some disagreements with some of the doctrine he subscribed to, but I surely do admire his faith in God. I want to share an illustration with you today that was a result of one his missionary journeys.
A captain of a steamer, who was a Christian man, recalls a life changing encounter he had with one of his passengers…George Mueller. The ship was off the coast of Newfoundland and had encountered a dense fog. The captain had been on the bridge for twenty-four hours straight and had never left it. George Mueller came to the captain and said, “Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon.” “Impossible”, the Captain replied. “Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chartroom and pray.”
The captain looked at Bro. George and thought to himself, what lunatic asylum has this man come from? The captain had never heard of such a thing. He replied to a determined George Mueller, “Do you know how dense this fog is?” “No,” Bro. George replied, “my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.” Then Bro. George knelt down and prayed a very simple prayer. When he had finished the captain was going to pray also, but before he could
Bro. George put his hand on the captain’s shoulder and told him not to pray saying; “First, you do not believe the Lord will answer, and second I believe HE already has.”
The captain was astonished not to mention very humbled. George Mueller looked deep into the captain’s eyes as he went on to say; “Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get audience with the King. Get up Captain and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.” The captain did get up and found that indeed the fog was gone. On Saturday afternoon George Mueller was in Quebec for his engagement.
George Mueller was a man who not only believed in God, but he believed God. He took God at His Word and never doubted for one moment that God would not answer him when he called upon HIS name. Impossible faith you may say? In our Text, (Verse 6) says, “without faith it is impossible to please him.” Faith is not something we possess, but rather faith possesses us. This is the life changing truth that this captain learned that day at sea. We are but mere vessels, and it is our faith that will bring us to uncharted waters, to distant shores that we know not of, even if we know not the way. Maybe, you find yourself looking at the fog, or the storm in your life. I want to encourage you to look to Jesus, the Captain of your ship, nothing is impossible with HIM! Today, my Christian friend, hoist up the sails no matter how weathered or torn, and let your faith take you where the Lord will have you to go.
Bro. Lawrence Longworth
Isaiah 61:1 “the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
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