A Christian captain, sailing down the Mississippi, had a serious accident in which his ship was so damaged that he was in danger of losing both ship and cargo. However, in spite of the disaster, the captain remained calm, and so much so that it was evident to others that it was his faith and trust in God that sustained him in the trial. The Bible tells us, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.” Isa. 26:33Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah 26:3).
While in this trying situation, there came to his aid a river pilot, who, on his own confession, neither feared God nor regarded man. After offering to help the captain, he began to storm and swear.
A little later, having observed the captain’s peace of mind, he contrasted his conduct with that of the captain and said to himself: “How is it, that while I have nothing to lose, here I am swearing as though the ship belonged to me; and the captain, who has ship, cargo, and reputation at stake, seems perfectly calm? It must be his religion. I have a Bible on board my boat, and I am going to start reading it, and see if I can find what his faith is.”
The pilot did read, and the Spirit of God applied the truth to his soul. He became convinced that he was a lost sinner, and knew that without the faith which he had seen displayed in the captain, he must be lost. Convicted in his soul, he turned to Christ and was happily converted. Afterward he called on the captain to tell him what the Lord had done for his soul.
ML 12/03/1967