Keeping My Boat in Order — The Strength of the Armada

 

“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

— Psalm 31:24 (NKJV)

I was thinking about Christian Concern, the Free Speech Union, and others standing for truth in a world that no longer welcomes it. I was thinking about people like Wayne Broadhurst — an ordinary man walking his dog — and about the Darlington nurses who stood by their convictions and paid a heavy price.

Each, in their own way, faced the front edge of the storm. And as I thought about them, I found myself asking: what should I do? how should I be at this time?

The storm isn’t coming — it’s already here. The waves are high, the winds are fierce, and I can feel the strain on the ropes that hold my little boat together. Some of the damage I see is from within — old cracks I haven’t fixed. Some is from without — unexpected blows and hard winds that come without warning.

Still, I sense the Lord reminding me: keep your boat in order. Check the sails of faith. Mend what’s torn. Calm the crew within. Before I can help another boat, I must make sure mine will stay afloat. Before I can speak peace to another, I must let His peace rule in me.

We are already in the battle, but the Captain is still at the helm. My part is to stay faithful in the waters where He has placed me. Yet I don’t think this is only about looking inward. It’s about looking both ways — inward and outward at the same time.

If I only look inward, I lose sight of others. If I only look outward, I neglect what God has entrusted to me. The balance is in doing both — tending my own vessel and keeping watch for those sailing nearby. That, I think, is what faithfulness looks like in these days.

The Call to Fellowship

An Armada is not a collection of perfect ships but of faithful ones. Each boat matters. When one struggles, the others draw near. When one is struck, others help to steady it.

The strength of the Armada isn’t in its size or power but in how well we stay connected — how willing we are to look out for one another. We speak truth into each other’s storms. We pray for those whose sails are torn. We offer encouragement to those drifting. And when we can do no more, we stay close. Sometimes presence itself is grace.

So I tend my boat, and I keep watch for those around me. Both are acts of obedience. Both are ways of saying to the Captain, “Here I am, still in formation.”

Different Waters, One Purpose

Not all are called to the same waters. Some sail on the front edge where the waves break hardest. Others chart the course ahead. Some hold formation in the middle — carrying encouragement and prayer for those who grow weary.

None of these callings are lesser or greater. The one who prays unseen is as vital as the one who stands in public view. The one who quietly steadies another’s heart is as needed as the one who speaks boldly.

Our task is not to compare positions but to stay faithful in our own — repairing what’s broken, offering help where we can, and holding our line with courage. When each of us keeps our boat steady and our eyes open to those around us, the Armada becomes strong indeed.

Holding the Line

Some at the front face the fiercest winds; others at the back repair and pray. The Armada only moves forward when we all hold the line together.

We hold it by staying true to Christ.

We hold it by speaking truth in love.

We hold it by keeping our sails trimmed and helping to lift another’s when they falter.

Faithfulness isn’t always loud or heroic. Sometimes it’s found in steady obedience — in prayer, perseverance, kindness, and courage to stand where God has placed us.

So I will keep my boat in order.

I will lift my eyes to those sailing beside me.

I will not drift into isolation, nor drown in self-concern.

I will stand my watch and lend my strength when others grow tired.

We sail not alone.

We sail under the command of Christ — the Captain of our salvation, whose light still cuts through every storm. And when the sea grows dark and the horizon disappears, His voice remains:

“Take courage. It is I; do not be afraid.”

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

— Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)