[image: Beam Reach, 2013, JA Van Devender]
Location: off Peggy's Cove, NS, CA.
Isaiah 52:11–12 (NKJV)
11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord.
12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
This image stretches the limits of cropping to the absolute max. It represents about one-tenth the original photo and thus the grain makes it barely acceptable... but at least it can convey something of what I saw. I imagine the trim little craft was just singing through the light chop. There was a brisk wind, perhaps 15-20 knots, which was probably right at the max it could stand before "taking a reef" in the sails, so there was plenty of power available to push it at "hull speed" - which is for sailboats something like "critical mach" for subsonic airplanes.
A "beam reach" is when the relative wind (real wind plus wind created by movement) is perpendicular to the boat's centerline and in most sail boats it is perhaps the most pleasing point of sail. The efficiency of the sails are maximized, there is a nice breeze across the deck making the cockpit not as sultry as when "running before the wind", the waves are sliced at an angle rather than bashed head on, and heading control is not as critical as when "close hauled." In other words, the sailor can relax and enjoy the ride... take in the sights... smile at the sky above... and delight in that tingling excitement the boat exhibits as the halyards and sails and sliding water make it seem "alive." Life is good.
Something akin to that "feeling" is described by the words God gave Isaiah in the passage above. When God blows His wind of deliverance on His people, they will delight in the ride.
In this section God is addressing the captive people whom He will, in His time, restore to Jerusalem. They are held against their will and live oppressed lives. But there will come a day when He will act to remove the bonds of their captivity and bring them out of slavery in a manner somewhat analogous to His deliverance from Egypt. But this time there will be a difference... there will be no pursuing army... there will be no need to dress in preparation, to eat a final (Passover) meal in haste and to drop everything and go at the last moment. No, this time the people of God will not go in haste and they will not need to have a "rear-guard" to protect them. The Lord will move men and nations, He will set mighty forces in motion, He will blow a mighty wind and move His people by the force of His will. Only a great and mighty God can deliver such a promise... such a deliverance... and when He acts all that is left for His people to do is to rejoice and enjoy the ride.
Such is the work that God did in bringing His people out of captivity in ancient Babylon and such is the work God is doing now to gather His elect from the various cities where they are in bondage still. As the wind moves through the trees and no one knows from whence it came or whither it goes, so moves the Holy Spirit. Circumstances combine, rulers arise, economies go up and down, weather patterns develop, families struggle or prosper, children are born or are denied, life is easy or hard, but the consistent unifying truth is that God is directing the course of all these things in just that way which will bring about His purpose... of "blowing" His people down the pathway toward His Kingdom and ultimately to Himself.
Being on a "beam reach" is to settle into the cockpit and enjoy the ride. There is work to be done, of course. While the best of all sailing points yet there are waves that still splash uncomfortably over the rails... and yes, the leeway slippage can sometimes brings rocks and shoals unexpectedly into play... at least from our perspective. But the fact remains... we are headed in the right direction and with that wind blowing as steadily and as perfectly as it is, we will arrive at our destination in the best of time.
Look at the seas,... the skies above,... the beautiful rocky coastline slipping past. These are there for your encouragement and delight. The work you have to do is relatively small because God is carrying the heavy load, attend to it with diligence and a watchful eye, but let your anxieties melt away under the refreshing breeze and the sure and certain knowledge that this wind will take you home.
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