Many people love to cruise and have been around the world or even revisit their favorite ports over and over. Cruising is a passion for some. Pack a bag and then your room, food galore, sights to behold, entertainment are all in one place. Ahoy Captain, sail on!

Thinking about the cruising industry and the myriad of advertisements to entice travelers to choose one ship over another, or one itinerary over another, made me think about Noah. Noah, a tenth generation descendent of Adam, was living in a time of mayhem and degradation.  God chose him, a farmer, to build an ark and save his family and the animals of this earth.  A flood was coming to rid this world of humans who were running amok of His plan.

Was this just a “story” or was it real?  Many explorers have gone in search of the remnants of the Ark, purported to have landed safely on Mt. Ararat in Iran, as the flood waters receded after 40 days. The story of the Great Flood is mentioned in the Bible, the Torah and the Qur’an.

God does love us unconditionally, but that does not give us a free pass. As a youngster were you told, “No,” followed by, “because I love you, you may not…” God does love us, but as His children, He will temper us and refine us as needed. We were not meant to just “cruise” through life, but rather to yield to God’s plan and grow in Him, building our faith through His teachings. Noah listened, followed directions from God and he and his family were saved.

There may be fabulous ports of call on your journey through life, and plenty of all-you-can-eat buffets to entice you on your cruise in life. “Cruise directors” will entertain you but your “Captain”, the Holy One, is the only one needed to guide you through a 40-day flood, turbulent waters, high winds, humanity gone awry, faltering economies…life.  Trust Him.  Life with God as your “Captain” is a “cruise” with a “life preserver” of heavenly rewards.

Jill