Burn the Ships

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday! I want to share something that God has been teaching me and hopefully it may help encourage you as well.

A few weeks ago on my way to work I was listening to the radio and the new song by King and Country called Burn the Ships was playing. As I listened to the words I began to wonder why you would burn what seemed to be a perfectly good ship.

After doing a little research I discovered that some of the early explorers upon arriving in a new land would order their ships to be burned. This was because the sailors would rather stay on board the ships instead of stepping out into the unknown and exploring a new world. The ships were familiar, safe and over the many months of sailing had become quite comfortable.

By burning the ships the crew would have to go ashore and step out into the unknown where they would discover new things about themselves and their surroundings.

Our world is going through many changes and it will probably never be the same again. But that’s not all bad news.

I believe that we are being called to live life differently and that will require letting go of some of the things we’ve grown very comfortable with. But letting go of those things will free us up for whatever is next. God is bringing us to a new place full of new possibilities and opportunities, but we have to be willing to step out into them and if that means “burning the ships” of the familiar, then lets light some matches.

Elisha was a biblical example of this very thing. When God placed a call on his life he was plowing the fields with a team of oxen. After Elijah threw his mantle around him signifying his calling, Elisha slaughtered the oxen, burned the equipment to cook the meat, fed the people and set out to follow – never looking back.

He removed anything that would hinder him from moving forward in God’s leading no matter how unknown the future was – because he was fully trusting the One who holds the future.

I have been in the travel industry for a little over 30 years. In that time I have become comfortable in doing my job a certain way. That way has now changed. The office that I currently work in will be closing by the end of the month which will require me to do things much differently.

I know I’m being called to a different place that God has lead me to but at times I feel like a reluctant sailor holding onto the sinking ship of familiarity and the captain has just thrown me overboard for my own good.

One of my favorite saying is that if He brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

God is bringing us all to something new. It could be a new job, new location, new relationship or just a new way of living. Whatever it might be we can choose to trust Him, step out and know that whatever He has in store for us is good.

Remember there was treasure ashore that the sailors would not have discovered if they hadn’t left the ships.

I hope you have a blessed day and if you see smoke – I’m just burning my ship.