Scripture: Acts 27:31 – “Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’” (NRSVue)
When you are in a difficult situation, you may understand the need to endure to the end, no matter how difficult that may be. You know that giving up is not an option. But what if an easy way out suddenly appears? What if you cannot accomplish your goal, but are not faced with a total loss? Would you take it? What lesser end are you willing to settle for?
For example, let us say that you quit your job because you were miserable and underappreciated. You are looking for a new job, but you can find almost nothing, and you fall short on the interviews you do get. Bills are piling up and you know you must find something soon. Then you find a position, but it has a lot of similarities to the miserable job you left. Do you take it, or do you endure until the right job comes along? Here is another example. You just left a toxic relationship and are looking for someone who will truly love you. As time goes on and you feel more and more lonely, do you keep looking for Mr. Right or settle for Mr. Right Now, even without a guarantee of love and respect?
Faith can work this way, too. We put our trust in God, but our faith is not immediately rewarded. And rather than endure with God, we look for way to get by on our own, and often end up in as a bad a place as we started. We accept momentary happiness instead of persisting for perpetual joy.
In the Acts of the Apostles, there is a story about Paul being caught in a great storm in a prison vessel on his way to be tried before the emperor. Paul has a vision that the ship will eventually be wrecked, but that God will deliver them so long as everyone on board stays with the ship. After two weeks of endurance and starvation, it appears they are close to land, but still in danger of being killed along the rocks. They put down anchors to way for the right moment to drift to safety. But some of the sailors see an opportunity to sneak onto the lifeboat and escape, despite the dangers of wrecking themselves. Paul reminds the soldiers in charge of the boat of God’s promises, and so they crew reluctantly lets the lifeboat drift away. The next day, the ship crashes into the shore, but in such a way as all survive and the other prisoners are allowed to escape.
If the sailors had taken the easy way out, they would be just as dead as if they stayed with the seemingly doomed ship. But because they relied on the promises of God, they survived.
As you pray today, think of something that God has promised you through your faith. Will you jump at a chance to forget the promise if something easier comes along? What kind of temptations are pulling at you? And what will it take to endure? It may be that someone else needs to step in to help you do the right thing. Who might those people be for you? Keep to your faith and no matter the storm, God will see you through.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, bring me safe through the storms of life so that I might know your love and peace. Amen.
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