Waiting for My Ship to Come In

Have you ever heard someone say that they were waiting for their ship to come in? In current culture, the saying means that they are hoping for something good to happen in their life that they have no control over. A hope that good fortune will visit them and all their problems will be solved.

The origin of the saying isn’t clear. It could have come from the days when merchant ships were coming into port every day and you never knew when the one that held your supplies would arrive or if it would ever arrive. Maybe it was overtaken by pirates or sank in a violent storm. With no communication between ship and shore, no one could know for sure if their investment had arrived until they saw the ship coming into port.

The story in Matthew 8 tells of a time when the disciples wondered if their ship would come it. They weren’t just looking for some investment to pay off. Their believed their very lives were at stake. They were in the boat, the storm came up and Jesus was where? Asleep. Didn’t He care what was happening to them or that their lives were in danger? But the scripture tells us three things. Matthew 8:18 tells us “He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea,” verse 23 says, “when He got into the boat His disciples followed Him,” and verse 28 says, “When He came to the other side.” It doesn’t seem that Jesus had any doubt at all about whether His ship would come in.

Maybe you are in the boat that’s tossing and rolling in a violent sea. Maybe it looks like Jesus is asleep. Doesn’t He care what’s happening in your life? Is He going to wake up and do something before it’s too late?

Remember the story in Matthew. Jesus commanded they cross the sea. He got in the boat and the others followed because they trusted Him. He knew they would reach the other side; there was never any doubt in His mind. Only when the waves looked too high and the storm too strong did the disciples get concerned. They looked at the storm and not their Lord to define their situation.

The storms in life may be overwhelming sometimes. You might wonder if you are really going to make it to the other side. But Jesus hasn’t left you. Keep your eyes on the horizon. The shore will come into view and you will land safely because Jesus is in the boat.