DEVOTION: A Fish Ladder ~ by Shirley Corder

Sovereign LORD, you made the earth and the sky by your great power and might; nothing is too difficult for you. Jeremiah 32:17
Whoever heard of a fish ladder?

For some reason that I don’t understand, our creator God’s plan for the salmon in Scotland is for them to swim out of the cold North Sea and travel upstream for a great distance before they breed. Some years ago, my husband and I visited the small town of Pitlochry in the Highlands. Nearby the town, a large dam had been built which effectively acted as an obstacle to these fish. They could no longer make their way upstream. 

An enterprising group of engineers came up with a plan. They built the fish a ladder comprising, not of rungs, but of large tanks. The large fish leap freely over high barriers from one holding tank to the next higher one, until they finally arrive in a river above the dam. It is a fascinating sight to stand and watch as these large fish leap from the water and splash down in the next tank.

When my husband retired from full-time ministry, the way ahead was unclear. We faced many seemingly impassible problems. Where would we live? What would we do? How would we come out financially? Yet God had a plan. 

Like the salmon, we didn't have to conquer the whole problem at once. As we took one leap in faith, we reached the next stage. God then gave us a chance to gather our strength before we took the next jump, finally arriving in a pleasant cottage in a secure retirement village near the sea. It takes us only six minutes to  walk to the beach. My husband receives many preaching appointments, and we are involved in local church ministry. 

When I wrote my book, Strength Renewed, I had no idea how I was going to publish it. I couldn't afford to self-publish, and I live in South Africa where we don't have publishers for this type of book. What could I do?

Once again, I didn't have to do it all at once. God opened one door and I jumped to a writers' conference in Florida. Another door opened as I met the acquisition editor of Revell publishers. Yet another door, and I submitted the manuscript to the publishers as requested. Several doors later, I opened a large cardboard box and whooped with delight. What better sight is there for a writer than that first consignment of brand new books with their name on the cover?

What seemed impossible to us, was totally possible to God. And we only had to take one leap at a time.

Over to you: What huge challenge lies in front of you right now? Maybe God only wants you to take the first leap. Once you've done that, He'll show you the next one.

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on some of the ways God's Positioning System directed her through the rough times in the cancer valley. It is available globally in print or online in e-versions. 

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook. Sign up for her newsletter.