Batten down the hatches is a nautical term from the early 19th century. When a ship was about to enter rough seas, the captain would order the crew to batten down the hatches. The crew would close all the hatches (doors) on the ship’s decks and use lengths of batten (rods) to secure the hatches in the closed position. People often use this term to talk about security and protection or to concentrate and get work done. Some examples are, “We batten down the hatches before we went on vacation (securing our home),” or “For the team to complete the project, they batten down the hatches (cut out distractions).”

Batten down the hatches is not about the storm. It is about the vessel. A few weeks ago, we got a simple word for our church. A trusted person was standing in the back of our service, and they heard the Lord say, “Batten down the Hatches.” They were brave enough to tell us; we have been praying over this for the last few weeks. We also invited the staff to pray as well. When receiving a word like this, it can feel scary if you are focused on the storm rather than the vessel. We are encouraged by this word as we see that Jesus provides hope in the midst of storms so we can have faith, knowing He is with us in the boat.