Do you keep coming back for more trouble?
René was a pirate.
A really good pirate. And really good in the pirate world means really, really bad.
The Royal Navy tried to catch him. They could not. He was that good. He was bad, fast, and mean. In other words, really good at being a pirate.
The one time the Royal Navy did catch him, René was locked in a prison they said was totally, completely, absolutely escape-proof.
He walked out.
The guard stood in the empty cell, stared at the wall for a very long time, then shrugged and went back to napping.
Did René take advantage of his new freedom? No, he did not. He sailed right up to a giant city called Rio de Janeiro and bombarded it for eleven days. The city officials begged him to leave, handed him a big pile of money, and then held a parade when his ship sailed over the horizon. Okay, the parade was more of a loosely organized clean-up service project to remove rubble, but the people still celebrated. This was a different time — a time when people did not stand around taking pictures of the damage, but instead helped clean up.
Speaking of times, there was another time in another city when the boss of the place paid a captain and crew to leave.
Okay, the captain was more of a shepherd, and instead of thundering cannons, he had relied on the thundering voice of God.
This shepherd, Moses, marched up to the most powerful king in the world — the Pharaoh of Egypt — and said, “Let God’s people go.” Pharaoh laughed. His attendants laughed. He had an army. He had a palace. He had a very impressive, though silly, hat. People in Egypt laughed at his hat a lot.
Moses did not laugh.
Neither did God. Instead, God sent plagues. Not plagues like you hang on the wall. Those are plaques. These plagues began with small things like gnats, flies, and frogs. Then boils. Then God sent darkness so thick you could feel it. Each time Pharaoh said, “Nope. No go.” Apparently, the very impressive, silly hat restricted blood flow to Pharaoh’s brain.
Each time Pharaoh said no, God sent a worse plague. Eventually, Pharaoh stopped laughing.
Then came the worst night of all.
God told His people to mark their doors with the blood of a lamb. That night, God sent His angel through Egypt.
Not a cute, chubby angel with a little bow and arrow. This was the other kind. Tall. Silent. Carrying what appeared to be farming equipment. In cartoons, he looks like the Grim Reaper. In your home, she may look like the Grime Reaper — the one who cleans your room when you will not — and does so with a menacing scowl.
Anyway, this Grim Reaper moved through Egypt, and each time the angel saw blood on the doorframe, it passed over that home. God’s people were safe inside. Pharaoh’s family and people were not. A lot of people, um, ah, did not wake up in the morning.
In the Bible, that night is called the Passover. And it is still celebrated today. Often on Sundays, but any day is a good day to remember when the Grim Reaper skips past your home. Pirate hint: Any day is also a good day to swab the deck, batten down the hatches, furl the sails — in other words, clean up your room.
After that night, Pharaoh begged Moses to leave. And, like René, outside of Rio, the people of Egypt were so desperate to see them go that they handed over their gold, their silver, and their cattle. Later, Pharaoh would follow the trail of cow pies to where God’s people had set up camp at a KOA beside a wide river. There Pharaoh would try to get back all the treasure.
But that’s a story for another day.
Here is where you can be encouraged. God took His people’s worst day and turned it into their best day.
That’s what God does. He doesn’t just rescue you. He sends you out loaded.
Are you having a bad day and need something good to happen? Ask God for help.
Helping those who ask is something God loves to do.
Here is the pirate’s declaration for bad days: “Aye, ye intended to harm me? By thunder, God can take what you did and make it for my good. Ye may lay to that.” (Genesis 50:20). Say this — in your best pirate voice — to your problems and bad days.
🏴☠️ Pirate Fact: René Duguay-Trouin captured 20 warships and 300 other ships during his career. Ten ships in the French Navy were later named after him. The English probably should have built a better prison.
Sundays, you’ll find the Pirate Preacher in Moore Square, Raleigh, NC, and at the bus station. There, Team Jesus passes out food, water, chips, and cookies. We also lay hands on and pray with other so they may enjoy the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10). His books are read by countless inmates and used to introduce others to Christ.
The Pirate Preacher is an award-winning author of middle-grade, YA, and adult fiction who loves to surf. Send a message in a bottle to the Pirate Preacher: PiratePreacher.org@gmail.com