KEEPING THE COURSE MEANS STAYING THE COURSE

KEEPING THE COURSE MEANS STAYING THE COURSE
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 by LINDA WOOD RONDEAU

Categories: devotional / TUESDAY'S TREASURE

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)

Maybe it was only indigestion. Most often, I only remember that I had a dream, forgetting the content.

But this dream was more vivid than most.

My husband and I took a car ride, and just as we started to cross the bridge, we saw a wall of water heading our way. My husband sped up to avoid it, but the edge of the wall caught us. He churned the wheel, fighting to keep the car from plunging into the raging waters below. Next, my husband was standing by the bank. Like Superman, he reached into the water and pulled out the car. Then we got in and continued on our way.

When I told my husband the dream, first he laughed. Then he thought the dream symbolic of our marriage. Countless times, we’ve felt drenched and threatened by floods of difficulties. But, with God’s help and protection, somehow we keep going and stay the course.

Speaking of Staying the Course

I watched a television segment of a wedding. When the minister said, “as long as you both still love one another,” I felt disturbed. When had the vow changed? What happened to “until death do us part”? I thought perhaps the line had been put in simply for dramatic intent. Then I read an article addressing this issue of weakened marriage vows. It seems that today, couples can opt to adjust their oaths so that when times are tough they can justify quitting.

I wonder if bailing has become too easy. Not just in marriage. All relationships are becoming more and more dispensable. We throw away our connections like ill-fitting shoes. When the relationship no longer brings us joy, we hide from the truth, place blame on the other, or run away rather than ride the wave.

I wonder if loyalty is becoming a lost art.

In days gone by, every neighborhood had a Mr. Smith’s Country Mart. But with the onset of superstores offering cut-rate prices, these businesses have nearly vanished from our culture. Competition is fierce for the consumer’s dollar, and big businesses clamor for attention. Loyalty is undermined by the constant wooing of big bargains, variety, and one-stop shopping.

That same desire for the inexpensive and exciting yet convenient lifestyle whittles away at our relationships, even within our spiritual lives. God calls us to be loyal servants. But we are lured away from daily communion by other pursuits that promise to fill our emptiness without the hassle of commitment. We find parasailing temporarily more enjoyable than a quiet afternoon of reading the Bible. We feast on mindless activities rather than prayer.

Because we no longer hunger for God,

we fail to sense His love,

even though He has never removed it from us.

Consequently, we tire of this life called Christian. When hit with the deluge of discouragements, our souls wither.

But the soul stayed on God, even though engulfed by the flood, keeps keeping on.

Share This Blog: