Yesterday I learned a new word. Tack. Okay, maybe it’s not a completely new word in that I know that a tack is “A short, light nail with a sharp point and a flat head.” I also know that it is a term used with horses and their equipment and accessories. But I heard from a friend, a new definition of the simple word. It’s a nautical term – “A course of action meant to minimize opposition to the attainment of a goal. An approach, especially one of a series of changing approaches.”
I like that. In sailing, it has to do with determining the direction of the wind. Planning the course of action based on the changes in the wind. I won’t even try to go into nautical details, because I have absolutely no frame of reference or experience. But I like the meaning of “tack”.
Life requires flexibility and the ability to change direction. It requires “tack”. God is the wind in our sails. The wind is always the wind and God is always God. But sometimes His methods are different. Sometimes a gentle breeze when all we need is a slight wind to keep us on course. Other times, He is a rushing wind, full of power and might that either brings our focus back to Him and the direction we need to go, or to give us a jump start on our journey. Sometimes He shows up in ways or from directions we don’t expect. As we see His working, as we sense where the wind is coming from and where it is directing us, we need to adjust and set our sails accordingly. We need to work WITH the wind and not against it. The wind gives our “sailboat” power to move forward, to stay on course, and to help us focus on the goal.
Jesus, as I head out into this day, help me to sense Your direction. My sailboat cannot move without You. As Your wind blows on my life, help me to recognize it as a power source, even if it’s not from the direction I am expecting. That every breath you breathe into my life has purpose and the goal of helping me to become more like You. Help me to be flexible and willing to change as the course requires. Remind me to work with Your wind and not against it. Because Your wind will always guide me home to Your safe harbor….
John 3:8 – The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
