Kayaking I: The Launch

My brother brought kayaks to the family beach trip one year. Using them in the Gulf was a whole different ballgame than enjoying them on a lake. The instructions I got actually helped me remember what’s necessary to stay the course in my walk with the Lord. That’s what we’ll look at the next few days. Today we’ll start with the moment we first believed.

My brother didn’t teach me how to launch the kayak through the waves to start my journey. That never would have happened on my own. He did that part, pushing the kayak hard through the waves until I was safely past the breakers. Then he joined me.

That reminded me of when we first trust Christ to save us, and bring us to our eternal home Our journey with the Lord is not something we could have begun on our own. Jesus had to launch us into relationship with Him as the Holy Spirit opened our eyes to truth. He then joins us on our journey, and never leaves us.  There is no guide like Him.

I love how Colossians 1:13–14 describes our launch,

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness

and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

in whom we have redemption,

the forgiveness of sins.”

Through His birth as a man, life, death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus did all the work.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God,

not a result of works,

so that no one may boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9