"I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.

I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given."

—Emily Dickinson

Ah, but a Chart has been given! And there is one Captain who is able to guide a wayward vessel into its desired haven.

Christopher Columbus had his charts, though woefully incomplete. From Marco Polo's journals he learned of the Orient's vast riches. He was certain of the spot he wished to reach, but he planned to travel a new, untried way, reaching the East by sailing west.

Every school pupil has heard an account of his difficulties in obtaining funds for a journey of unknown length. Eventually, royal sponsors were convinced. Three ships were built, seamen were hired and they set sail on August 3, 1492. "Captain General" Columbus kept a journal. This heading appears at the top of page one:

"In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ …"

It is said of God in Isaiah 40:22, "It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth." The word translated "circle" is "Khug" in Hebrew, connoting sphericity. From Job 26:7 we learn that "He hangeth the earth upon nothing." We do not need astronomers or physicists to tell us these facts. But Columbus' superstitious crew feared otherwise, many believing that the earth was flat.

One can only hope that the reclusive Miss Dickinson, who wrote the poem at the head of this article, was as sure of her salvation as of the location of "heaven."

God does not expect His creatures to wander blindly through life's voyage, so He has provided a MAP:

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction … that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished" (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

God has also provided a COMPASS:

"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21).

Moreover, God has provided a CAPTAIN:

"And behold, God Himself is with us for our Captain" (2 Chronicles 13:12).

"For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10).

By faith, we can sense His guiding hand leading us to where He has already gone. The Lord Jesus says: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39).

After many weeks, Columbus' seamen became increasingly fearful. Most were unlearned, believing in grotesque drawings of huge sea monsters capable of swallowing whole ships. Others feared they were about to reach the edge of a flat earth and fall off into oblivion. The Captain's log mentioned "fear of the unknown" and "incipient mutiny."

October 11, 1492: At 5:30 a.m., Columbus summoned all hands on deck for their customary prayers. He reminded them of "the grace our Lord had shown them in conducting them so safely and prosperously with fair winds and a clear course."

October 12, 1492: At 2:00 a.m. the ship Pinta was in the lead. The lookout, Rodrigo de Triana, shouted: Tierra! Tierra!"

It was indeed land at last. The island, called "Guanahani," was renamed by Columbus after our Lord and Saviour, San Salvador (now Watlings Island).

It has been said that only Columbus, in his day, possessed the qualities of leadership, discipline and steadfast determination to make his journey. But he never reached the Orient.

Columbus is dead. Christ is living, God is real, heaven is certain and eternity is sure. Only Jesus Christ can assure forgiveness of sins, salvation of sinners and a place in heaven. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is non other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

In Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison's massive biography, "Admiral of the Ocean Sea," he closes with this: "Columbus had a deep conviction of the immanence, the sovereignty and the infinite wisdom of God, which transcended all his suffering, and enhanced all his triumphs."

—Roger W. Nelson