Today’s Verse

Psalm 119:114-116

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God. Lord, sustain me as you promised, that I may live! Do not let my hope be crushed. (NLT)

During our honeymoon in the Bahamas, my wife, Leah, and I booked a fun little catamaran boat excursion. It seemed like a cost-effective way to spend time on the water and just do something different.

We cruised out to a reef area to swim, explore the underwater world, and enjoy the natural beauty. The boat was shaped like an H with a small enclosed area in the middle. Before diving in, we gathered to discuss the ground rules: the right side's ladder was for entering the water, and the left side's ladder was for returning to the boat. Lifejackets were optional but available.

People grabbed fins and snorkels but nobody grabbed a lifejacket so I decided to do the same, thinking it might hinder my ability to find Nemo. As others swam out from the boat, I followed Leah, a former high school and college swim team member. While everyone else swam further away, my capabilities (or lack thereof) around swimming became pretty clear. I was STRUGGLING. Instead of heading to check out the sights, I made an immediate loop back to the boat to grab a lifejacket before attempting to swim again.

Following my darkest, most hopeless, and desperate struggles, I realized I had approached life as I had approached that ocean. I could have accepted the provision, stability, and support Jesus offers, but I chose instead to charge headlong and to think I knew better or would experience things differently without Jesus.

I’m doing better now, and I’m trying to take Jesus with me in everything I do and not make the trip back to the boat to start over the way I should’ve in the beginning. You can too.

REFLECTION

Navigating life with Jesus is always better than going alone. I find creating more “check-ins” immensely helpful in not chasing after things on my own—choosing Christian music over other genres is a great swap that keeps my focus where it should be. Try mixing some Southland Music releases into your playlists this week!