Ghost Ships

The room was silent save for the strategic pauses between coordinate calls as my daughter and I studied our Battleship boards, envisioning our opponent’s ship positions.

For the longest time, we called misses. No action. No threat. Nothing to worry about. A skosh boring, frankly.

Until she called the first hit. My pulse picked up, and her attention honed. I knew I’d been had, and it was only a matter of time. Like a sonar ping echoing my presence were her next calls…

Hit.

Hit.

Hit.

Sunk.

Battleship is akin to the enemy’s end game. He constantly calls coordinates under the guise of quandaries and temptations of all form.

Some calls we expect. They deflect off our armor that protects us from the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Miss.

But then comes the first hit. Our defenses buckle a tad and our mental clarity takes a slight skip. One hit. We can withstand taking on a little water and remain afloat. Right? He has our twenty. Our weakness has been exposed, and it’s only a matter of time.

Hit.

Hit.

Hit.

Sunk.

The problem is, this is a ghost ship. It’s been sitting on the ocean floor, a lifeless relic removed of power for decades. The enemy, with his crafty, cunning maneuvering can illuminate past mistakes, lording them over us like a powerful warship splendored with ten tons of gleaming guilt.

Ghost ships lead to destruction.

The truth is that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12, NIV)

Moments of weakness come to us all. Even those seeking healing in the presence of Jesus Himself.

A man brought his son to Jesus to drive out an impure spirit that had wreaked havoc since the boy’s childhood. Upon seeing Jesus, it threw the boy to the ground, causing him to roll around and foam at the mouth. The father asked, “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” (Mark 9:22, NIV)

Mark 9:23-24, “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (NIV)

Help me overcome my unbelief. Help me have sound mind and right thinking to put ghost ships in their rightful place. At the foot of the cross. Empty hulls, tinged with scarlet streams. Forgiven.

Psalm 51:17, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (NIV)