Imagine a heavy ship caught in a terrifying sea storm, fighting relentlessly against towering waves. The crew strains every muscle, furiously steering and hauling ropes to stay in control, only to watch the ship take on more water. It is only when the captain finally steps back, drops the useless wheel, and shoots off a flare into the dark sky that a rescue vessel can locate them. As long as they pretended they could steer through the tempest on their own, help remained out of reach. In our active addiction, we ran our lives like that sinking ship, stubbornly insisting we had everything under control while taking on water. We treated asking for help as an embarrassing failure. But God’s Word turns our human logic completely upside down. He does not wait for us to fix our broken ships before He draws near; He draws near the exact moment we fire off our distress flare. Admitting powerlessness is not giving up—it is opening the door to the God who heals the crushed in spirit. | 
