PROVERBS 22:3 – “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”

THEME OF THE DAY: THE PRUDENT MARINER.   Today’s theme, “The Prudent Mariner”, paints a picture of the wise, alert, and skilled sailor who vigilantly navigates the oceans and seas of the world with a constant eye on safe navigation.  This “seasoned salt” uses all available means like radar, GPS, visual aids, human skill, and updated nautical charts to avoid hazards of navigation.  The sailor must be alert at all times for it only takes a minute to find one’s vessel in danger of running aground or shipwrecked.

In today’s scripture, King Solomon also describes a prudent person.  It is the person living life on constant guard against the dangers which would ruin a life or at least bring painful consequences in life.  We could use his instructions spiritually by taking the image of the prudent mariner in a literal sense and applying it in our walks with the Lord.

First, the prudent Christian knows the areas of personal weakness and avoids them.  For instance, maybe surfing the internet in a private place is an area that feeds fleshly temptations.  If so, we know the potential dangers of sinning by putting us in that environment, so we stay away.  The Apostle Paul would tell the believers in Thessalonica to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We starve temptation, not feed it.

Next, the prudent Christian watches for the deception of the devil, the world, and self that allure him or her off the safe and narrow path of following the Lord.  Many Christians have shipwrecked their faith because they were blinded to the crafty tactics of the devil, the world, and our always deceiving flesh.  Here is an illustration – our choice of entertainment or recreation.   When it comes to what we put before our eyes, we must be careful.  What we look at is placed on the hard drives of our mind, and if it is not wholesome, pleasing to the Lord, we may be assured the devil, world and our flesh will exploit that in our spiritual battles.  Don’t let the criteria for watching movies, shows, or reading material be something like, “The language isn’t that bad.”   The moment we go there, we are no longer prudent spiritual mariners, and damage is going to occur.  Our criteria in everything should be two-fold – Does this please the Lord?  Will this hinder my walk with Him?

Finally, the prudent Christian strives to walk in all areas of life by the lamp and light of God’s Word – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). The only safe course in this dangerous world is to steer by the absolute truths of scripture.  The prudent spiritual sailor makes God’s Word the determining factor in all of life’s decisions, twists and turns.  And it has proven to give everyone following it safe passage all the way to heaven!

The prudent mariner. We learn a lot from the seafaring person; the need for watchfulness, training, and to sail safely through life’s hazardous waters by the sure compass of the Word of God both written in His Word and living in His Son.

PRAYER: Father, may I learn to apply Your wisdom to safely navigate life in a dangerous world of evil.

REFLECTION: If we don’t watch daily for what trips us up in our walks with Christ, then trip we certainly will.