You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

Do you remember the movie “Jaws”? Police Chief Brody is out on the water off Amity Island with Quint and Hooper. They of course are looking for a shark that has been devastating the area. As Chief Brody is scooping out chum to attract the shark, the shark’s massive head suddenly appears on the scene and Brody backs up, stares off in the distance and says to Captain Quint, those historic words: “you’re gonna need a bigger boat”.

I remember a time when the disciples were involved in a healing tour that resulted in great success. They were then faced with a demon that they could not cast out. They brought the man to Jesus who cast out the demon. They asked Him why they couldn’t cast him out themselves. Jesus told them that “this kind” does not come out easily, but by prayer and fasting (Matt. 17:21).

The Covid 19 virus has rocked and shocked the world. Even God’s people are struggling to cope with the fears, the restrictions, and the dangers surrounding them. In the movie, Chief Brody realized that the vessel they were using was not going to be big enough to handle the size of the shark that he saw. We who know the Lord are gonna need a bigger boat as well. Sometimes difficulties come that we can handle well with the spiritual resources we have developed. Then there are times when our world is overturned, and we face a situation or a time of life that is so much more difficult than we have ever faced before. That is when we need to develop a bigger boat spirituality. We need a stronger faith, a deeper walk, and a more rugged resistance.

Sometimes, in order to handle the sharks we need to spend some intense time alone with God in prayer. We need to toughen up and be willing to go through some hardships with our Lord. These are the times that God’s people need to be the voice of encouragement and hope. When the world around us seems to be sinking our feet are firmly standing on Jesus, who is truly our “bigger boat”.