Time to Set Sail

By Paula Williamson guest writer

It Is Time to Set Sail

As soon as I awoke the words, today is the day came to mind. I saw in my spirit, a massive harbor filled with ships—beautiful ships of every kind—so many that it felt as though they were docked in anticipation of a fireworks display. I sensed the ships were God’s people, me included.

My mind flooded with words and bursting concepts: flamboyant ideas, pregnant dreams, vision, conviction, and expectant purpose. The excitement was sharp and direct—an urgency I had felt just before I invited Jesus into my heart.

I heard:

“You are ready. You were made for such a time as this. I am the captain of your ship. I am the Master of the sea, and the winds obey Me. I am your divine supply. You may have two fish and five loaves, but you lack nothing. It is time. It is time. It is time.”

“Some of you have been in the harbor so long, planning the journey, that you have dry rot—but not beyond redemption. Some of you have been swabbing the deck so long that you have forgotten the purpose for which you were made. Some of you have loaded your ship with unnecessary weight—these things must be thrown overboard. Some of you were told to go northwest to Nineveh, yet you are sailing south to Joppa. Some of you have been waiting for perfect weather. I am the Master of the sea and the wind. Some of you have become so preoccupied with what you need for the journey that preparation itself has become your career.”

“It is time to hoist the anchor. It is time to undo what secures the ship to the dock. It is time to launch out into the deep for the purpose for which I have called you. You were created to be fishers of men—to gather the lost.”

The scene shifted, the sea was scattered with those tossed overboard as unnecessary or useless.

I heard:

They are treasures to Me. Some are adrift, treading water and waiting to be rescued. Some are barely hanging on, about to give up. Some are going under for the third time, on the verge of sinking. Their voices are crying out for help.

“It is time for My people to hoist the anchor, set sail, and gather them. Yes, there will be storms and winds—but the storms and winds obey Me. I am the Captain of your ship. Your ship is loaded with divine supply. Raise the sails. Undo the ropes that bind you to the dock. Launch out into the deep.”

You Lack Nothing

“It is time to stop asking if these bones can live. Time to hope. Time to dream. Time to let go.Time to set sail.”

“Stop wondering if you are ready. Stop wondering how. Stop ruminating over the trip.Stop swabbing the decks, loading supplies, and preparing endlessly for the journey.”

“I am your supply. Launch out. Launch out. Launch out into the deep. You are fully equipped and fully prepared. You lack nothing. Faith the size of a mustard seed is all you require. I am your compass. I am your supply. I am your Captain.”

Gather the Lost

“You were made for such a time as this. Go and gather those lost at sea—those swept away by floods, those thrown overboard, those battered and hungry, those adrift without purpose."

“Not one is worthless to Me. Throw them a line. Bring them on board.” “It is time.”

Prayer

Lord, forgive me for the times I have waited in the harbor when You were calling me into the deep. Help me release fear, excess weight, and false security. I choose to trust You as my Captain, my compass, and my supply. Give me courage to set sail and compassion to rescue those crying out in the sea. I believe You when You say—I lack nothing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Devotional Takeaway

Many of us are not stuck because we are unprepared—but because we are comfortable anchored to the dock. God is not asking for perfect conditions, full understanding, or endless preparation. He is asking for obedience, movement, and trust. The call is clear: hoist the anchor, release the ropes, and set sail. The Captain has already gone before us.