Batten Down the Hatches!

First I must warn you that I really don’t know too much about “Maritime” history, but from all the movies I’ve seen that had to do with ships and bad weather, there is one call that has been constant, “Batten down the hatches!” What does, “batten down the hatches!” mean? In a nutshell, “prepare for trouble!” I’m not sure the ship Nehemiah tried to hid from God on had hatches or not, but I am sure if they did, everyone was trying their best to batten them down. ~Smile~

Life’s journey often runs into stormy waters and if we not careful to batten down the hatches, we could lose a lot.

The disciples were on a ship with the Messiah (He was asleep) and when the storm began to toss their boat to and fro they became afraid and cried for Him to do something. Do we not find ourselves fearful and afraid in the midst of trials and tribulations? Of course we do. I know, I know, I Timothy 1:7, tells us that God did not give us a spirit of fear, (that afraid fear) but He knew that fear and being afraid was something we as human beings would have to deal with in our lives. Why else would there be so much in the Bible about “fear not” or “don’t be afraid”? So the next time someone tells you they are fearful or afraid about something, don’t be so quick to tell them God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. Instead listen! See if you can encourage them to transfer their fear and anxiety onto the Lord. Yes, Paul tells us that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but it doesn’t say we won’t be fearful. Paul wanted us to know where that afraid kind of fear came from. But there is also a good healthy fear. Oh yes, because what kind of fear do you think Proverbs 1:7, is speaking of when it says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge?” It can’t be the shaking in your boots gonna pee your pants; I’m scared kind of fear.

Fear and unbelief are something we battle with all through our lives. No matter how spiritual you are or how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, it comes up and we have to deal with it. When trouble strikes we are going to have some type of reaction to it. You get a pink slip and lose your job. Your first thought is, “Okay Lord, I know you have this covered. Might be a surprise to me, but it is not one to you.” You start the process of skimming the fat in your budget, because unemployment is only a percentage of what you were actually making on your job. You sharpen up your résumé and begin sending it out and applying for jobs. You have faith in God and your trust is in Him. You have done all that you know in the natural to “batten down the hatches”.

The jobless days begin to turn into weeks and the weeks begin to turn into months. The seasons change and now you have high heating bills and in the reality of ends barley meeting you are watching your bank account begin to dwindle away, and it’s all starting to take its toll. Things are compounded with the realization that your unemployment payments will soon end. I would be hard pressed to believe that in this situation that fear and unbelief have not been rearing their ugly heads. I don’t think one could honestly say that it has not been a daily struggle at some point to “batten down the hatches” (close down) on fear or unbelief. So, again I admonish you to not be so fast to quote “I Timothy 1:7” to your sister when she is riding out a storm in her life and she is afraid. Please listen!

Whenever you are watching a movie where a ship is in trouble the captain is usually shouting at the top of his lungs, “All hands on decks!! Batten down the hatches!!” You will notice that everyone jumps to save the ship and their lives. Even if there had been conflict between each other earlier, everyone at this point is on one accord. That’s the way it should be for us as Believers, we should jump to help our sisters “batten down their hatches” in the midst of their storms.

Times are very hard right now for a lot of people all over the world. And maybe even more so for our sisters next door or the sister who sits next to us every Sunday in church. As daughter’s of the Most High we should ban together to help out one another, (all hands on deck). When the storms, trials, tribulations and troubles of this life go on for a length of time, that is when we begin to grow weary, and our faith can waver, and we might even begin to doubt God’s love for us. Depression, anxiety, and fear can also begin to set in. This is why we need to be there to help each other “batten down the hatches” so we don’t feel so alone.

There are many ways we can help one another. For one, become a safe place where people can talk honestly without fear of judgment. Be an ear where someone can cry and share how they are afraid, or they are doubting God’s love for them. We all have some type of understanding in that area, because I’m sure that all of us have been afraid, and have doubted God’s love at one point or another in our spiritual walk. We may not be so quick to own up to that fact, but nonetheless it is true. Another way is pitching in to be of assistance where we can. And last but not least, if they are having financing hardships we should be willing to help. Everyone in the Body is not financially strapped. Some of us do have money in the bank or a few extra dollars we can give to someone else if we make a sacrifice. I have been in situations where I have needed big bucks and times when $10 in the mail, was like someone sending me $100. We can be a very selfish and self-centered as people when we want to. That is why James warns us that to see someone in need and we don’t give, it profits nothing. James 2:15-16

Just like in maritime times, everyone is needed to “batten down the hatches” in order to save the people and the ship, so is it the same for us when trouble comes. We need each other to ride the storm or troubles out. We need “all hands on deck” so that a sister will not fail in heart and begin to lose her faith as she becomes overwhelmed trying to “batten down her hatches” all by herself.

My prayer for you today is that if you are someone who is in the midst of a storm and needs a helping hand; do not be afraid to ask for it. Seek God’s guidance as to who you should ask, (that is very important). And if you are one who can be of help to someone (more than just praying for them) then step up and help your sister. All hands on deck!



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Monday's Blog: Sasha, "Healthy Lifestyles" Part II of her story on finding a lump in her breast