Morning “There were also with him other little ships.” / Mark 4:36

Jesus was the Lord High Admiral of the sea that night, and his presence
preserved the whole convoy. It is well to sail with Jesus, even though it be
in a little ship. When we sail in Christ’s company, we may not make sure of
fair weather, for great storms may toss the vessel which carries the Lord
himself, and we must not expect to find the sea less boisterous around our
little boat. If we go with Jesus we must be content to fare as he fares; and
when the waves are rough to him, they will be rough to us. It is by tempest
and tossing that we shall come to land, as he did before us.

When the storm swept over Galilee’s dark lake all faces gathered blackness,
and all hearts dreaded shipwreck. When all creature help was useless, the
slumbering Saviour arose, and with a word, transformed the riot of the tempest
into the deep quiet of a calm; then were the little vessels at rest as well as
that which carried the Lord. Jesus is the star of the sea; and though there be
sorrow upon the sea, when Jesus is on it there is joy too. May our hearts make
Jesus their anchor, their rudder, their lighthouse, their life-boat, and their
harbour. His Church is the Admiral’s flagship, let us attend her movements,
and cheer her officers with our presence. He himself is the great attraction;
let us follow ever in his wake, mark his signals, steer by his chart, and
never fear while he is within hail. Not one ship in the convoy shall suffer
wreck; the great Commodore will steer every barque in safety to the desired
haven. By faith we will slip our cable for another day’s cruise, and sail
forth with Jesus into a sea of tribulation. Winds and waves will not spare us,
but they all obey him; and, therefore, whatever squalls may occur without,
faith shall feel a blessed calm within. He is ever in the centre of the
weather-beaten company: let us rejoice in him. His vessel has reached the
haven, and so shall ours.

Evening   “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I
will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity
of my sin.” / Psalm 32:5

David’s grief for sin was bitter. Its effects were visible upon his outward
frame: “his bones waxed old”; “his moisture was turned into the drought of
summer.” No remedy could he find, until he made a full confession before the
throne of the heavenly grace. He tells us that for a time he kept silence, and
his heart became more and more filled with grief: like a mountain tarn whose
outlet is blocked up, his soul was swollen with torrents of sorrow. He
fashioned excuses; he endeavoured to divert his thoughts, but it was all to no
purpose; like a festering sore his anguish gathered, and as he would not use
the lancet of confession, his spirit was full of torment, and knew no rest. At
last it came to this, that he must return unto his God in humble penitence, or
die outright; so he hastened to the mercy-seat, and there unrolled the volume
of his iniquities before the all-seeing One, acknowledging all the evil of his
ways in language such as you read in the fifty-first and other penitential
Psalms. Having done this, a work so simple and yet so difficult to pride, he
received at once the token of divine forgiveness; the bones which had been
broken were made to rejoice, and he came forth from his closet to sing the
blessedness of the man whose transgression is forgiven. See the value of a
grace-wrought confession of sin! It is to be prized above all price, for in
every case where there is a genuine, gracious confession, mercy is freely
given, not because the repentance and confession deserve mercy, but for
Christ’s sake. Blessed be God, there is always healing for the broken heart;
the fountain is ever flowing to cleanse us from our sins. Truly, O Lord, thou
art a God “ready to pardon!” Therefore will we acknowledge our iniquities.