Several years ago I was singing in the praise and worship part of a church service and the Lord showed me something that I want to share with you.

I saw a person who had been shipwrecked at sea. They were hunched over a part of the ship that was demolished by whatever storm that had passed through. They were worn out and just floating there, hopelessly and clinging to that wood, that piece of the ship that they had been aboard just before.

All of a sudden, the Lord appeared to them and told them to look up! He said – you have a life jacket on, so you will not drown. He said look over there! And He pointed to land, not too far off. He also reminded the person that the sun was coming up, but if they stayed hunched over that piece of the ship, looking down into the water, they would not see the land or the sun.

He said “I AM YOUR LIFE JACKET, I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DROWN! LOOK UP! WATCH FOR YOUR RESCUE AND SWIM TOWARDS THE SHORE!”

Wow. As I pondered this awhile, I realized that the person adrift on the sea was me! And the ship represented a way of life I had always known, but man, had it blown up! I was clinging to the last bit of that way of life instead of looking for my redemption.

I then realized that I had to let go of that piece of wood, that piece of my life that I had known for so many years and look up! I needed to let go and see the Father and ask for His direction. I needed to swim towards the shore of safety and be watchful for a rescue helicopter to assist me and for the sunlight to guide me.

It was scary! But I could NOT swim if I was holding onto that debris!!! I could only swim if my hands were free! Jesus was my life jacket and He was NOT going to let me drown. But my focus had been on surviving and not wanting to let go of the last of that remnant of what was. And that debris could no longer carry me to safety, it could no longer carry me anywhere.

So, what happened? I looked up! I let that last piece of that shipwreck go and I swam to the shore. Father God was with me each and every stroke. Was it easy? No. But do you know the hardest part? The hardest part was letting go! Once I let go and began to swim, it got easier and easier and by the time I reached the shore I was free! Free and full of joy!

What has become shipwrecked in your life that you need to let go of? LOOK UP! LET GO! SWIM to the shore! What God has for you on the shore is so much greater than what you are leaving behind.