Raise The Flag!
If you have missed the past two devotions, I encourage you to read the archives for the proper context of this month’s devotion:
Part 1: Clean The Deck
Part 2: Don’t Drink The Saltwater
May 10, 1942. Commander Leonard Austin scanned the horizon from his ship, the USS Henley. Commander Austin had been searching endless hours for the USS Neosho and had found no floating debris and no bodies. How long should he and his crew keep searching? Should they declare the Neosho as officially gone?
The Distress Flag
Meanwhile, still drifting in an ocean of hopelessness, Captain Phillips of the USS Neosho heard an uproar from his men. “Airplane! It’s an airplane!” Looking through his binoculars, he could see that an Australian aircraft was approaching. The country of Australia was a friend of the United States. “Raise the distress flag!” Phillips ordered. The plane flew a circle over the Neosho and flashed a message.
“He wants us to confirm that we are in distress.” From the plane’s altitude, the pilot could not tell how bad things really were.
“Tell him that we are absolutely in distress!”
The plane dipped its wings, then flew away. For the first time in days, the sailors clung to their first real hope of rescue. Someone had seen their distress flag!
Some of the hardest words we can ever speak are, “I need help!” Either by denial or pride, we refuse to raise the signal flag of distress. I would never pretend that raising the distress flag is easy. In our years of ministry, we’ve heard countless people make the statement: I cannot trust those around me with the details of my problem. Eager ears and gossiping tongues have caused many people to keep their distress flag down. But Psalms 107 gives us hope:
Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psalm 107:28
It’s not unrealistic to want someone who can be trusted with your innermost struggles. But I want to remind you that if you have no one, you do have The One! The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 oftentimes had no “man” with whom they could share their distress. When Moses was all alone on the backside of the desert, God revealed His name as the: I Am. You may be praying for a listening ear. God says I Am. You may be praying for healing. God says I Am. You may be praying for wisdom. God is still saying I Am!
Raise that distress flag to the Lord! He knows, He sees and most importantly, He cares about where you’re at.
The Emerg Victor Flags
Back onboard the USS Henley, Commander Austin received a secret message from Allied headquarters in Australia. The Neosho had been spotted! Commander Austin ordered the ship to full speed as they headed toward the reported location. He then ordered his men to take positions at the machine guns. If the Japanese had plans to stop his rescue operation, they were going to have a serious fight on their hands!
When they arrived on the scene, the Neosho had taken on so much water, that she was barely floating above the surface. Neosho’s signalman flashed away, giving details of the disaster, the dead, the wounded, etc. In the middle of all of these details, Commander Austin issued an order that serves as a shining example to every Christian
“Interrupt that signalman! We need to rescue those men as fast as possible. Raise the Emerg Victor flags!”
When Captain Phillips saw Emerg (emergency) Victor being raised, he fully understood what the rescuers were saying. It meant that an official state of emergency was being declared. It was time to quit talking. It also meant that it was time for everyone to get busy with the rescue!
In times of spiritual disaster, I’m afraid that we have too much talk going on. “What did they do?” “When did they do it?” I’ve got a better question: “Where is the emergency flag?” Where are the people who don’t need a detailed explanation before pulling a dying soul into the rescue ship!
And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;
Jude 22-23
Years ago, there was an individual who had fallen into sin. Soon after, a preacher went to visit him. He told the man that he had simply come to pray and to confirm his friendship. The fallen man wept as he told the preacher. “I’ve had phone call after phone call, but you’re the first person who hasn’t demanded to know all of the details.”
Friend, there is a war going on. As we aimlessly discuss details, more souls are being lost to the enemy. Can we all agree that we’ve talked long enough? It’s time for souls to be rescued!
Conclusion
The USS Henley successfully transported the wounded sailors back to safety. Many of these sailors recovered from their injuries and went on to help win the war against the Japanese. This was all possible because of the heroic actions of Captain John Phillips and Commander Leonard Austin. May we all learn from their character and courage!
If you are standing on a sinking ship, please raise the flag of distress! Your life depends on it. If you see someone waving a flag of distress, please don’t make it your mission to find out every little detail. With God’s help, we will win this fight of faith. We just have to keep raising the flag!