Sallie Dawkins

This morning, as I was sending a friend a text, I saw a vision of my friend in a rowboat, but there was only one oar, so the boat kept going in circles. My friend was growing frustrated. Then Jesus appeared.
 

Jesus didn’t come to give my friend a second oar.
He brought an outboard motor.
 

And He didn’t ask my friend to install it. Nope. Not only did Jesus bring the equipment, He also installed the motor. But that wasn’t the end of the vision.

Jesus wasn’t done. He sat down in the back of the boat to steer it. God was operating the motor. What, then, was He asking my friend to do? Sometimes, we’re not clear on our role or purpose. Do you ever feel that?

However, in this case, God invited my friend to sit at the front of the boat and enjoy the ride. That was all. Simply, enjoy the ride.


 

Maybe you’ve never gotten yourself into a cycle of dead works, but I have. Have you never felt like you lacked direction for your life, or woke up to your situation and felt alone? Gosh, a ton of scriptures started flooding my mind, and the Lord was ministering to me while I was ministering to my friend. That’s how it works.
 

We’re not living isolated lives. We’re all in the same boat. When one side sinks, it impacts all of us.
 

This vision was a good reminder to rest in the finished works of Christ.

We will stay connected with the True Vine then produce good fruit. In Luke 5, Jesus sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He directed Simon to launch out into the deep and let his nets down for a catch, Simon commented about how he had already toiled all night, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). The result was an overflowing of fish that caused their nets to break, leading Simon to signal another boat to come help them. Both boats were so full they began to sink! This encounter was Simon’s new beginning.
 

In John 2:5, at the wedding feast, Jesus’ mother, Mary, instructs the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” That’s wisdom for all. Nothing more, nothing less. I was reading from Psalm 50 this morning. In verse 17, God says to the wicked, “Seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you,” then in verse 21, “You thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.” In Luke 5:22, Jesus asks the scribes and Pharisees why they are reasoning in their hearts. Our minds and hearts cannot fathom the goodness of God’s love and care. This is only something we can grasp in the spirit. We are born again eternal and unlimited spirit beings dwelling in human bodies, so we don’t need to figure things out on our own.
 

Jesus only said and did what He saw His Father do and say. It’s the same for us, too. It’s the kindness of God that leads men to repentance, and true repentance repels darkness. We then invite the Holy Spirit to fill that space. Salvation, the process of being saved, healed, and delivered, is a process. Let there be grace for the journey. As God leads us, let us turn and disciple others, sharing His lessons. After all, we’re one Body and One with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We’re all in the same boat, learning to release control, rest in peace, and enjoy the journey.
 

Today, I challenge you to reach out to someone with a material, physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Share the love and kindness of the Lord with others. It costs nothing but a few minutes to pray for another and build them up in the most holy faith. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
 

Let me end with the words of Paul from Galatians 6:18, “Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”