Overnight Shetland Ferry: 'I AM' Amid Storms

A vivid, concrete travel anecdote—a rough overnight ferry crossing from Shetland back to Scotland—serves as a powerful extended metaphor for the spiritual reality of God’s steadiness in the midst of life’s upheavals. The crossing was notably stormy, producing physical sickness and clear discomfort; passengers were warned that the journey would be “a little rough” ([28:51]). This tangible image of being tossed by waves makes the abstract truth of divine faithfulness immediately relatable.

Stormy seas function as a direct metaphor for life’s challenges. The physical rocking of a vessel on wild water corresponds to the disorientation, uncertainty, and disruption people experience during difficult seasons. Storms at sea are not merely picturesque symbols; they portray the very real ways circumstances can unsettle body, mind, and hope. Using a familiar secular experience—rough travel—grounds theological truth in ordinary human experience and clarifies that spiritual steadiness must be practical and accessible, not merely theoretical ([28:51]).

At the center of this teaching is the revelation of God’s name in Exodus: “I AM who I AM.” This name defines God as eternal, self-existent, and unchanging ([10:22]). That declaration expresses God’s independence from created realities and His persistent presence across time. The “I AM” is not a distant theological abstraction; it is a description of how God relates to change and chaos—He is the constant who does not vary with circumstances ([13:58]). The same “I AM” is the presence that was with the patriarchs and remains with people today, affirming continuity between biblical history and current experience ([17:17]).

Applying the “I AM” to life’s crossings draws a clear, practical conclusion: when circumstances become tumultuous, the unchanging character of God provides the steadiness required to endure and navigate those storms. Just as a vessel, despite being tossed by waves, completes a crossing, the reality of “I AM who I AM” functions as an anchor that prevents spiritual capsizing. God’s eternal presence holds individuals steady through literal and figurative transitions and traumas, supplying reassurance that transcends situational volatility ([28:51]).

A decisive challenge follows from this understanding: do not allow circumstances to define God. Instead, allow God’s revealed character to define how circumstances are interpreted and engaged. The habitual human tendency is to let difficulty dictate belief and hope; the corrective is to submit interpretation of events to the standard of who God is. Framed this way, trials become contexts in which divine steadiness is seen, tested, and displayed rather than reasons to weaken trust ([28:51]).

This metaphor works effectively for several reasons. It pairs an easily imagined, concrete experience—travel on rough seas—with a theologically weighty concept, making the doctrine of God’s immutability accessible to a broad audience. It connects physical discomfort and disruption to emotional and spiritual realities in a way that invites empathetic identification. It moves directly from text to life: the Exodus revelation is not treated as an abstract creed but as a living reality that brings practical peace and stability amid chaos. The result is a clear, applicable teaching: God’s unchanging “I AM” is the reliable point of reference in every storm and crossing of life ([28:51]).

This article was written by an AI tool for churches.