No Steering Required

“I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark - you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.”  Genesis 6:18 NIV

Have you ever experienced a time when the steering went out in your vehicle? It can be an extremely terrifying experience. The feeling of not having control over a situation is one of the hardest things we as human beings deal with. Nobody likes to feel like they are not in control.  Whether it be circumstances, health, emotions, outcomes or even other people, a feeling of control is always something we seem to work towards in every situation. But are we ever really in control?  The answer is a big resounding, “No!”

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9 NIV

What we often miss is that God doesn’t just remind us that He is in control, sometimes He lovingly removes our ability to pretend that we are. There are seasons when He allows the steering to go out, not as punishment, but as invitation. An invitation to stop gripping so tightly. An invitation to trust His direction instead of demanding our own. When our plans fall apart, when our outcomes are uncertain, and when our usual methods of control fail us, it exposes a deeper question: do we trust God only when we can still steer, or can we trust Him when all we can do is float?

“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence…So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people…I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.” Genesis 6:11a, 13 NIV

We see this clearly in the story of Noah and the ark.  Before the rain fell from the sky, the world at the time of Noah was flooded with evil.  There was only one righteous man that walked with God left on the face of the earth, and his name was Noah.  God told Noah that He was going to destroy both mankind and the earth.

“Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins?”  Lamentations 3: 38-39

With all the detailed instructions for building the ark, one of the most terrifying yet interesting details about Noah's Ark was that it did not include a steering wheel!  In God’s perfect design, it did not need a sail, rudder, or even a captain's chair. Noah was building a massive vessel to survive a global storm, but he had zero control over it, or over where it went.  He couldn't steer it away from rocks.  He couldn’t turn it into the waves.  He couldn’t aim for dry land.  He was completely at the mercy of God.  The ark was not designed for navigation, it was designated for preservation.  Noah’s job was to be the passenger, God would be the Captain.  

This may be a picture of your life right now.  Are there areas of your life where you are trying to be the captain of your own ship? Are you trying to put a steering wheel on a situation where God simply wants you to trust Him for the outcome?  When we receive Jesus as Lord of our lives and believe in His truths, we allow Him to be the ”Lord and Captain” of our lives. He desires a personal relationship with each one of us, to follow and trust Him with all of our hearts. He comes “on board” our lives,  just as a captain would a vessel, to help us navigate it on the best course He has planned for us.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

There is a holy tension in trusting God when we cannot see the destination. Noah entered the ark knowing the promise, but not the process. He trusted God before the rain, during the storm, and through the long days of waiting for dry ground to appear. The same is true for us. Trust is not proven when life is calm, but when we choose to remain faithful in seasons of uncertainty. When we release control, we make room for peace, not because the storm may stop, but because we know who is in charge of the vessel. 

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”   Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Just as the ark was designed to float and not direct its course, our lives are safest when placed fully in God’s hands. We may not know where the waters will carry us or how long the storm will last, but we can trust the One who established the covenant and closed the door behind us. When the steering is gone and control is stripped away, we discover a deeper faith, one that rests not in our ability to navigate, but in God’s promise to carry us through.

Prayer

As you spend time with the Father today, ask Him to reveal areas in your life where you are trying to take control and manufacture outcomes.  If you recognize these areas, pray that you will be able to release your grip on the “steering wheel” of that particular circumstance. Ask the Lord to strengthen your faith and have eyes to see, ears to hear, what He is doing.  Remember He is Sovereign over all things.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-7 ESV