You’ve probably seen how a ship cuts through the waves, leaving a white wake behind it and churning the sea around it. That’s how life is, as Job said, "like a swift ship." I can’t stop its motion; I can only guide it with the rudder of God’s Holy Spirit. But still, like a swift ship, my life must continue

on its journey until it reaches its final destination. Where will that destination be? Will it be in the land of bitterness and emptiness, that desolate region of the lost? Or will it be that sweet haven of eternal peace?

When climbing up the steep olive terraces and mountain sides at Mentone, we need to watch every step carefully, lest our weak feet cause us to stumble. And when we’re ascending a hill that’s unfamiliar to us, we have to check our direction frequently

to make sure we don’t lose our way. No one can blindly make it to Heaven. The eye of faith that looks to Christ is needed all the way, and if we close it, we’ll soon trip over one stumbling block or another.