Hymnal Page Scan: Sail, Little Ships Hymnary.org

Keyboard Recording:

1 Sail, little ships on the tossing waves,
Over life’s sea so wide;
Follow your compass, the Bible true,
Ever a faithful guide.

Chorus:
Sail, sail, sail little ships,
Fear not the rolling waves beating so high;
Sail, sail, sail little ships,
You’ll gain the harbor of heav’n by and by.

2 Sail, little ships, though the clouds hang low,
Hiding the port afar,
Over the shadows still shines above
Jesus, the Morning Star. [Chorus]

3 Sail, little ships, let the storm-winds blow,
Christ will your Pilot be;
Onto the heavenly shore he’ll lead,
Safe through eternity. [Chorus]

We have talked before about how faith is believing that Jesus is who He says He is and that He will do for us what He has promised to do. I think it was John Owen in one of his writings (I will try to find it) who used the imagery of going on a voyage. When you become a Christian, Jesus becomes the Captain of your ship. You get into the ship with Him and start out on a voyage over an ocean. You can’t see where you are going…you can’t see the destination…all you can see out towards the horizon is water. As we are sailing over the treacherous sea, we are trusting in Jesus to lead the way. We are trusting that He is who He says He is and that He is leading us where He says He is leading us. When we are out on the stormy seas and our faith beings to falter,  we must remember to sail on because we know that even though Jesus is leading us through a storm, we can trust His guidance. And we trust that the destination of our voyage is heaven. Jesus is leading us to heaven over the stormy seas. One day, the golden shore will appear on the horizon and our ship will reach the port of heaven where we will live with Jesus forever. 

The imagery in this hymn will help us practice following Jesus’s guidance. Envision yourself in a ship sailing on the ocean. You know that you are traveling to heaven but you don’t know the way. You need Jesus to guide you. The 1st verse tells us to sail on little ships on the tossing waves. We will use the Bible as our compass. Envision yourself looking down at a compass that has a needle that always points towards heaven. That’s what the Bible does for us. When we read it, it points us to Jesus. It helps us see the way. Psalm 119:105 (NIV) says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

The Berean Study Bible says about this verse, “Light in the Bible often symbolizes truth, purity, and the presence of God. It dispels darkness, revealing the path ahead……The word of God provides not only immediate guidance but also long-term direction, helping believers navigate life’s complexities……God’s inerrant word functions both as a close-range lamp for each step and a broad-beam light for the whole journey.” And Charles Spurgeon says, “Each man should use the word of God personally, practically, and habitually, that he may see his way and see what lies in it. When darkness settles down upon all around me, the word of the Lord, like a flaming torch, reveals my way.” So, the Bible is a compass with a needle that always points to heaven. And when you read it, it illuminates your pathway over the treacherous seas. Envision a light that shines in the darkness…it illuminates the pathway one step in front of you…and is also a broad- beam light that shines throughout the whole journey home.

The 2nd verse talks about times when the way gets dark, and clouds make it difficult to see the way forward. But we can sail on because Jesus the Morning Star will shine light on us from above, making the way bright.  Jesus is our Captain, or Pilot. 

The 3rd verse says to sail on and let the storm winds blow, because Jesus our Captain, or Pilot, will guide us safely through all the way to the port of heaven. Envision yourself stepping off the ship safely on the golden shore of heaven.

As you are going through your day, if you start to feel confused or distressed…if the sea starts to get stormy…remember to use your compass and to look to your Captain for help. He will help you navigate the sea of life day by day.

Links: https://biblehub.com/psalms/119-105.htm#google_vignette