Who’s on your boat? Many believers do not realize you cannot have everybody on your boat. The problem is we want everyone on our boat. We think everyone is for us. All our friends and all our family, even just acquaintances. We feel like we need all of them on the boat. Like we must have them. You need to be careful who you let on your boat. Everybody is not for you. Everybody is not your friend. Everybody is not your ride or die. Everybody is not going to have your back whenever things get tough or out of control. So, who is on your boat?
I would venture to say that when things are going well for you, you have everyone on your boat. I bet your boat is full of people. Who is it? Who is on your boat? Is it all your Homies? Is it all your girlfriends? All these people are riding the blessing and favored wave right along with you. But maybe you should ask yourself another question such as this. Why are all these people on the boat with me? Are they there for you or for what you can do for them? You must be careful who you let on your boat.
Beloved who’s on your boat? Who’s on your boat when times get rough? Are those same people on the boat with you when you are having a hard time? When you are struggling. Whenever you do not know which way to go. When you are feeling lost? When you are hanging on by a thread Are they still there? Probably not. They probably took the first wave exit out. They are no longer on the boat when times are hard for you.
It is important to understand and to know that you must be careful who is on the boat with you. Because everybody cannot go where you go. Everybody cannot go where God is taking you. Everybody cannot go where God could be trying to bless you or elevate you. You cannot take everybody with you. Your best friend cannot go. Your homie cannot go. There may even be family members who cannot go. There are times when God is trying to bless you, and he needs you all to himself, but you are trying to bring everybody. You are going to have to let some people go. Many of you have a huge circle. You are going to have to make your circle smaller.
Did you know that everybody who says they are for you is not for you? You must be careful who you let attach themselves to you. You must be careful who you let be around you, a part of your anointing. Some people will attach themselves to you just because of your anointing and they don’t mean it for good. They are just trying to see how far they can go by being attached to you, by being a part of your circle. But then the moment their feelings hurt or the moment you do something out of the norm or the moment you go against something that they want, they drop you like a hot potato. Be careful of who you let on your boat. Amid all of these people on your boat, I just have one more important question. Is Jesus on your boat? Everybody is traveling with you. Everybody is moving in your circle. Everybody is there when all is going well for you, but is Jesus on the boat? Or do you start looking for him when everyone begins to jump ship and leave you wandering in the middle of the ocean alone? Do you start looking for him when the water gets rough and choppy? Do you start looking for Him and wishing He was on the boat only when you’re worried and scared? Whenever your bank account is low? Whenever your children are not acting right? Whenever your marriage is in trouble? Whenever they treat you wrong on the job? When things truly are not going well is that when you want Jesus on the boat. Is that when you need Jesus on the boat? Is that when you wish Jesus was on the boat? Why isn’t He already on the boat?
Jesus should be one of the passengers on your boat. He should be the only one on your boat. Your buddies cannot answer your prayers. Your buddies cannot elevate you. Your buddies will leave you as soon as things are not going their way. As soon as trouble falls upon you. But our Heavenly Father will never leave us. He will never leave you or forsake you. It says so in His precious mighty Word. Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Not only will God not forsake you, but He has gone on ahead of you. Meaning He knows what you are going through. He is there with you. You are relying on people who cannot help you. People that will drop you as soon as it gets tough. People that will not stand by you. And God is saying “I will” but you won’t put ME on the boat. But guess what you may not have put Him on the boat, but HE is there. You just must recognize Him. The scripture says the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.
Why is it that when we are going through life and everything is going well, we tell God ” Thank you”? We will tell him thank you and give him honor and praise but the moment there is a sign of trouble we begin doubting. We start worrying. We start wondering what we’re going to do. Why are we not praising and thanking Him then too? You have forgotten who is on board. Things are going well. Life is great. We are surrounded by a lot of people. Things are awesome. But the moment things go bad, everyone leaves us. Things start to unravel. You thought all these people were holding you up. But you look around and your boat is empty. You feel like you are all alone. That is not true. God is still there. He is on the boat. He has always been on the boat. He never left you. God is on the boat with you.
All those people that are in that boat are for themselves. They were not for you. That’s not how it is with God when he’s on the boat with you He’s on the boat for you and it’s all about you. When things start to happen in your life and things begin to unravel you look around and your boat is empty. You think I am always there for them. But that late-night phone call you make to them, they do not answer. That shoulder to cry on, they are not there. You are always there when they need you. You run to their rescue. Now in your time of need, they are not there. But you know what you don’t need them. You have God. Why are you worrying? Why are you fretting over your situation? Why are you feeling like the storm is too hard for you to bear? Just like the disciples in the book of Matthew when Jesus was asleep on the boat. They were afraid of the storm and Jesus asked them where their faith was. Matthew 8:23-26 says “23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown! 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm”. So beloved, where is your faith during your storm?
You need to believe in the good times and the bad times that God has got your back. You need to know that He is on the boat with you. You need God in the boat with you because God will always have your back. God will not lie to you. God will not try and get you to do something just because it’s a benefit to him, God does not do that, but your friends will. Many times, your friends do things because they’re doing what is best for them. People will grab hold and hitch along for the ride until it all dries up and then when it dries up, they’re the first ones on the first train smoking to get out as fast as they can. They will leave you at the sign of trouble, but God will never leave you. He is with you always you just must trust and believe. He is your friend when you are friendless. He is a mother for the motherless. He is a father for the fatherless. He is your everything. When you feel you are all alone, remember God is on your boat. Remember He is always with you, through your trials and tribulations. Through the good times and the bad. He will see you through. Never forget God is ALWAYS on your boat. Who is on your boat…God is.
