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During a terrible storm on the ocean, a small passenger ship rolled precariously in the roaring tempest. The furniture and anything else that could move was tied down, and the passengers were confined to their bunks for their own safety. Many on board thought the vessel was doomed.

Finally, a passenger who was determined to find out if there was any hope for survival, set out to see the one who was in command. Clinging to the walls and handrails, he made his way to the wave-lashed deck, up a ladder, and into the wheelhouse. He noticed that the ship was nearing land and was between some jagged rocks. It became apparent that the captain was trying to reach the safety of a calm bay up ahead. Knowing he could not make himself heard above the roar of the wind and waves, the captain just turned wordlessly to the worried passenger and smiled. Reassured, the man returned to the others and said, “Don’t be afraid. All is well. I’ve seen the captain’s face, and he smiled!”

When we are battered by the storms of life, we may be tempted to give in to feelings of hopelessness. But if we will look to our sovereign Captain (Hebrews 2:10 KJV) and commit our way to Him (Psalm 37:5), we will find peace even in the midst of great turmoil. We can trust Him to bring us through the storm (Mark 4:36-41).

Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today;
The depths of my sad heart are troubled;
O waken and save, I pray!
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o’er my sinking soul!
And I perish! I perish, dear Master;
O hasten, and take control!
The winds and the waves shall
obey Thy will, Peace be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,
Or demons, or men, or whatever it be,
No water can swallow the ship where lies,
The Master of ocean and earth and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace be still! Peace be still! —Palmer

by mike riley

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE

Sometimes we mistakenly think of the magnitude of sins in a wrong way. We talk of “little” sins as being those which really do not “count” because they seem so innocent when compared to major blunders which only the most ungodly do. The Catholic Church even has the same view of sins which are characterized as venial and mortal sins.

Do little sins count?

When one has this mindset, he struggles to figure out how eating fruit from a tree in the Garden of Eden could be so wrong. How could such an “innocent” act be compared to the sin mentioned in in the next chapter where a brother kills his own brother? Surely, murder must be a greater sin than eating fruit.

The same mindset struggles to deal with the “little” sin Saul committed in First Samuel chapter thirteen. Saul had been king for only one year when he was confronted by the Philistine army which had 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen. Saul’s army had only 3,000 soldiers. The prophet Samuel told the king that he would come to the battlefront and make sacrifices to God to seek His blessing in the conflict. For some unknown reason, Samuel was delayed, and Saul’s army was about to flee even before the battle was begun. He knew he could never defeat the Philistines without the Lord’s help and, though he was not a priest, he went ahead and offered the sacrifice. How could such be wrong? If it was a sin, it had to be a “little” one. Yet God did not see it this way. Saul’s “little” sin caused the kingdom to be taken from the lineage of Saul.  Our view of “little” and “big” sins is often so wrong.

While the Bible does not use these words to describe sin, it does speak of “full grown” sins (Jas. 1:15). This verse describes the enticement of sin and the entrance into sin as the birth of sin. However, sin does not remain a “baby” sin. If it is not dealt with, it grows and grows in our lives. We often fail to realize that any sin can become an addiction. Peter described this process when he talked about Christians escaping the pollution of sin through following Christ but then are again “…entangled therein and overcome” (2 Pet. 2:20). Sin has remarkable power, and when we have waited until it grows we sometimes leave the Lord.

Joseph was enticed by Potiphar’s wife. He ran! Had he stayed he might have fallen into the bondage of sin. David was tempted and did not run! Look at the ruin such brought to his life and family.

“Little” sins may seem rather innocent when we are first enticed by them, but yielding to “little sins” from a heart set on ignoring God opens the door to the bondage of sin. When you sin, repent. Do not let it become full grown! Dan Jenkins

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – Mike