You Are Where God Needs You
Bradon: have you ever heard the expression the captain goes down with his ship?
Jon: Yes, I think so?
Bradon: Well, even though I have never been on a ship. I want to explore that idea more!
Jon: AAAANNND, we will get to a bible story, right?
Bradon: Oh, absolutely! It all floats the same boat!
Discussion Episode
1 Samuel 13
About the Story
Bradon: Okay, so let’s get into it!
Jon: Yeah, let’s. I have been waiting far too long to find out what you meant by the whole boat thing! I am telling you right now if I am on a sinking ship, captain or not; I’m swimming to safety!
Bradon: haha, fair! I have never really been on a big boat. Have you? Like a yacht or something? Cruise?
Jon: The biggest boat I have been on is the ferry that went from Mainland BC to Vancouver Island. My brother got pretty sick because the boat was rocking back and forth so much. Not a huge boat, but it was incredible to see how many vehicles it could fit.
Bradon: Okay, so the idea of a captain going down with the ship is usually spoken in the way of pride, or perhaps debt. They did something wrong, and now the boat is sinking, so they are responsible for staying on—something like that.
Jon: Right, I’m following. I’m sure a historian out there would disagree, but let’s continue.
Bradon: okay, but I also think that there is some sense of not being able to leave or let go! Especially if we are attached to something, emotionally or spiritually.
Jon: I can agree with you there.
Bradon: have you ever worked so hard on something, perhaps for a very long time, that even when you saw it not being good anymore, or you weren’t the best person to continue with it, it was nearly impossible to walk away?
Jon: No, I am a pretty good quitter. Just joking, probably not so much a project or thing but more a relationship. I find it nearly impossible to walk away from relationships.
Bradon: Okay, so a bit of a tangent, but this story/ chapter was hard to wrap my head around, it is only half a story, and I think we see Saul in this situation a bit.
Jon: seeing the ship sinking?
Bradon: Yeah, or at the least having difficulty letting go of Israel in a time of struggle, or perhaps giving it to God.
Jon: it is a difficult chapter, there is a lot of information, and it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger!
Application
Jon: Even though it seems like the chapter is not finished like the story is not done, we are able to learn even in the unfinished.
Bradon: hmm. I like that. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like if I read enough that I can’t take specifics or lessons from the Bible.
Jon: Right, and context and the whole of the story is essential; the Bible is one Giant overlaying story, after all. But even the smallest pieces can be used to learn from and grow from.
Bradon: Okay, the lesson today is this, considering the cliffhanger and the Bible as a whole, is this. – You are where God needs you.
Jon: hmm, okay, elaborate.
Bradon: Okay, well, we can’t ever see the end of the story, like where we are in Samuel or where we are in life in general. We don’t know how things end, but as we continue to walk with God, we can be assured that we are where He needs us.
Jon: That doesn’t mean it will be easy or without suffering,
Bradon: no, unfortunately, and that’s the hard part.
Jon: but as we have said before, we know God works things out for Good, but our understanding of Good, here on earth, is limited.
Bradon: To say it one more time – “You are where God needs you.”
