«Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed» (Acts 13-8).
JORGE NAVIGATED his own small sailboat with Mirta, his wife, sailing through the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean to reach the famous port of Punta del Este, Uruguay. He had planned to enter the port at noon, at a time of good visibility. About six hours before arrival, a strong storm broke out, with headwinds and waves reaching six meters. It was his first trip on the ocean. He did not have GPS, only a nautical chart It was almost midnight, visibility was nearly zero, and the uncertainty and danger kept increasing.
At each port the access channel is marked with green luminous buoys that are seen on the right (starboard), and buoys with red lights that are seen to the left of the boat (port). The city lights confused him. He contacted the control tower with a desperate cry: «Sailboat here… please help!» He received a clear answer: «What do you see?» In response to the navigator’s answer, the tower operator replied, «Don’t worry, well lead you to the harbor.» And so, being led, he was able to leave behind the dangers of the night and the storm and safely arrive at the dock.
Paul had limitations in his physical vision, but his spiritual and missionary eyes had already been opened by the Lord. When fellow Jews rejected Paul’s message, the Gentiles were reached by his preaching. Then he accepted the Lord’s command to be a light to the Gentiles, that salvation might reach to the ends of the earth, because for God no one is last in line. When the Gentiles came to know this, they rejoiced and celebrated the Word of God. Their dark lives found light; their eyes, which had been closed, were opened. They listened, accepted, practiced, and shared the Word.
Like Jorge and Paul, we too sail on a dark, stormy night The city lights may dazzle us, and they confuse and distract us. Our only safeguard is to get to the safe harbor, following the only good Light.
«What do you see?» There is only one access channel to the port. The voice from the control tower is loving, clear, and powerful. The lights of Scripture mark the way. We need humility to listen to the directions and follow them. «None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict» (The Great Controversy, p. 593). Open the Bible and listen to the voice of God. He tells you, «Don’t worry, I will lead you to the harbor.«