330. TRUSTING GOD TO TURN IT: TRUE STORY

(The Faith Forum Series – Batch 12)

I will never forget it. Some years ago, as I sat at the front of a ship that was travelling from one island to another, my headphones were in my ears and attached to my cellular phone, as I had been listening to some Christian songs from a radio station.

At one point, a song by Vishawn Mitchell entitled “Turning Around For Me”, began playing. Believe it or not, as soon as the singer reached the part at about 5.50 minutes where he sang most emphatically “It’s turning, it’s turning! It’s turning around for me! It’s turning, its’s turning! It’s turning around for me!” to my amazement, the entire ship began visibly turning around AT THAT VERY MOMENT.

It had almost arrived at its destination and was therefore turning as it usually did, in preparation for anchoring. It was an incredulous sight to behold: To hear in your ears “It’s turning, it’s turning! It’s turning around for me!” and to see the ship doing just that, RIGHT AT THAT PRECISE MOMENT.

Coincidentally, I never sat at the front of the ship but on that day, I had decided to do so and therefore had an excellent view of the turning process from my vantage point.

My pores raised. In John 10:27, Jesus stated of those who believed he was God the Son, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”. I had been going through some prolonged adversity and was at such a low point, that was it not for my continued faith in Jesus, I don’t think I would have made it. When I heard the song and those words therefore and saw what was happening with the ship at the AT THE VERY SAME TIME, I knew in that moment, as I knew in other moments I’ve had over the years, that it was the Lord, reminding me that he was with me, that he had not forsaken me and that he remained the all-powerful, sovereign God, who would intervene to change my circumstance, in his own timing and according to his divine purpose.

The Lord loves to give his children precious moments like these, reminding them that he has not forgotten them. He is with them and will be with them, helping and succouring them. Irrespective of what people think, say or do, HE WILL PERFECT ALL THAT CONCERNS THEM because they are his children and no matter what, he is a faithful God.

(Written on 30th November, 2025)

ADDENDUM

In one of his sermons, Charles Spurgeon (deceased) stated:

“The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.” Psalm 138:8

“Most manifestly the confidence which the Psalmist here expressed was a divine confidence. He did not say, “I have grace enough to perfect that which concerneth me—my faith is so steady that it will not stagger—my love is so warm that it will never grow cold—my resolution is so firm that nothing can move it”; no, his dependence was on the Lord alone.

If we indulge in any confidence which is not grounded on the Rock of Ages, our confidence is worse than a dream, it will fall upon us, and cover us with its ruins, to our sorrow and confusion. All that Nature spins time will unravel, to the eternal confusion of all who are clothed therein.

The Psalmist was wise, he rested upon nothing short of the Lord’s work. It is the Lord who has begun the good work within us; it is he who has carried it on; and if he does not finish it, it never will be complete. If there be one stitch in the celestial garment of our righteousness which we are to insert ourselves, then we are lost; BUT THIS IS OUR CONFIDENCE, THE LORD WHO BEGAN WILL PERFECT. He has done it all, must do it all, and will do it all. Our confidence must not be in what we have done, nor in what we have resolved to do, but entirely in what the Lord will do.

Unbelief insinuates—“You will never be able to stand. Look at the evil of your heart, you can never conquer sin; remember the sinful pleasures and temptations of the world that beset you, you will be certainly allured by them and led astray.” Ah! yes, we should indeed perish if left to our own strength. IF WE HAD ALONE TO NAVIGATE OUR FRAIL VESSELS OVER SO ROUGH A SEA WE MIGHT WELL GIVE UP THE VOYAGE IN DESPAIR; BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, HE WILL PERFECT THAT WHICH CONCERNETH US, AND BRING US TO THE DESIRED HAVEN. We can never be too confident when we confide in him alone, and never too much concerned to have such a trust.”

(Addendum added on 30th November, 2025)