The Tide Is High (But I'm Holdin' On) - Trusting God in During Uncertain Times

Ever feel like God gave you just enough information to get started—but left out some pretty important details?Like, “Okay, Lord, I’m building the boat… but you forgot the rudder. How am I supposed to steer this thing?”

Welcome to the holy tension of trusting God in rudderless seasons.

Sometimes, we’re so desperate for control that we miss what God is actually trying to teach us: This isn’t your ship to steer. When the tide is high, and the waters are rising, it’s not about how strong your arms are on the wheel—it’s about how tightly you’re holding on to Him.

Noah’s Boat: No Rudder Required

Let’s go back to one of the most familiar faith stories in Scripture—Noah’s ark. In Genesis

6:14-16, God gives Noah incredibly specific instructions:

“Make yourself an ark of cypress wood… The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high… Put a door in the side… build lower, middle and upper decks…”

Blueprints. Materials. Measurements. All there.

But you know what’s missing? A rudder.

No steering wheel. No GPS. No navigational input from Noah. Just a floating box of obedience, built to survive a storm that no one had ever seen before.

Why would God give all those details but leave out the one thing we’d all be scrambling for?Because the ark wasn’t Noah’s to steer.

God Often Calls Us to Build Without Control

This hits home. There are seasons when God gives you a crystal-clear directive—“Start the ministry,” “Apply for the job,” “Take the leap”—but then He leaves the how, the where, and especially the when completely blank. It’s like He hands you a flashlight with just enough battery to see the next step… but not the whole path.

The ministry I’m pouring into right now is one of those callings. It’s beautiful. It’s hard. And it’s almost entirely rudderless.

I’ve never made a cent from it. Compliments are few and far between, but criticism? That flows like a comment section during election week. And honestly, there are plenty of nights when I’d rather just kick back and watch my Phoenix Suns blow another 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. Again.

But even in the fatigue, I know—this is the ark God has asked me to build. There’s a holy discomfort that won’t let go of me. A relentless tug in my spirit, stirred by how the name of Jesus is being distorted, politicized, and weaponized into something He never intended. I feel it every time grace is replaced with outrage, and mercy gets drowned out by megaphones and talking points.

I’ve prayed for God to take it away. I’ve asked for a little peace, a little indifference, maybe a side assignment at a men’s ministry grilling burgers. (Spoiler: apparently my burgers didn’t measure up.) Instead, He called me to a different kind of flame—one that burns in the messy intersection of faith and politics.

That prayer for comfort hasn’t been answered. And that’s okay. Because I know who’s steering.

My job isn’t to navigate. It’s not even to be understood. My job is simple:

• To trust in the Lord with all of my heart.

• To not lean on my own understanding.

• To acknowledge Him in all of my ways.
  

And wherever this treacherous path leads, that God will direct it.

When Trusting God Feels Like Floating

Let’s be real—trusting God sounds great on coffee mugs. But when the floodwaters rise and no land’s in sight? It’s not cute. It’s terrifying. But God uses these moments to do something deeper in us.

1. God Uses Uncertainty to Draw Us Closer

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Translation: You don’t have to understand the current—just trust the Captain.

2. Faith Grows in the Unknown

Hebrews 11:7 says:

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.”

Noah acted without clarity. He obeyed without outcomes. That’s faith.

3. God’s Plans Are Bigger Than Ours

Isaiah 55:8-9 says:

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.”

If God handed us the entire blueprint, we’d probably make changes. Spoiler alert: Our edits would mess it all up. Sometimes the kindest thing God does is give us just enough to take the next step—and nothing more.

What Noah Teaches Us About Trust

Noah’s story offers a simple but powerful roadmap for navigating seasons when we feel unsteady or unsure:

• Build the Boat Anyway

  • Even if the storm hasn’t started. Even if the neighbors think you’ve lost it. Even if the payoff is nowhere in sight. Obedience isn’t about clarity—it’s about trust.
    

• Trust the Tide, Not the Rudder

  • Noah didn’t need to steer. He just needed to stay inside the boat God called him to build. In the same way, you don’t need all the answers. You need the faith to float where God takes you.
    

• Remember Who’s Steering

  • This isn’t your journey to control. It’s not about having the perfect 5-year plan. It’s about surrendering your direction to the One who sees the whole map.

A Challenge for the Rudderless Moments

If you're in a season where you feel like you’re drifting—uncertain, anxious, maybe even a little seasick—ask yourself this:Are you grabbing for the wheel, or are you letting God steer?

God doesn’t leave us rudderless to punish us. He does it to free us from the illusion that we were ever in control.

So when the tide is high—and let’s face it, it often is—hold on. Not to your plan. Not to your timeline. Hold on to Him. The same God who steered Noah’s ark through uncharted waters is guiding you too.

When the Tide Feels High, Trust the One Who’s Higher

God rarely gives us the full itinerary. He gives us an invitation to trust. To step. To build. To believe.

So when life feels directionless, uncertain, or just plain overwhelming, don’t panic. Don’t wrestle for control. Rest in the fact that the One who calms the storm is also steering your ship.

Let go of the rudder. Take hold of faith. And trust that the tide—even when it’s high—is carrying you exactly where He wants you to go.