Faith

I admit, I've been struggling with my faith. This has just been one of those 'valley times' and of course, God decided to give me a knock upside the head yesterday in my Bible Study.

I admit, as a result of the 'valley time', I have not been doing my Beth Moore homework as I should. But I was determined I would show up for class this week prepared and of course, despite missing two weeks of lessons, the ones that were due this week were on exactly the subject that I've been struggling with - Faith.

I discovered a story that I'm sure I've read before...but never really let it sink in.

Acts 27
(To paraphrase...it's a long chapter)
Paul and the other prisoners are on a ship headed for Italy and they run into a terrible storm. Such a terrible storm that they "let the ship go" with the wild currents, throw cargo overboard, and lash the boat together with ropes...all the way around. (I don't want to think about the poor sailor who dove into the water to get the rope all the way around the boat.)

The storm lasted for over two weeks...no food, no perceivable end to the disaster, no hope.

In the meantime, an angel visits Paul and tells him that everyone on the boat will live through this terror. In Paul's eternal optimism, he tells the sailors to buck up and eat something and everyone will be saved!

But the part left out of the angelic message was that in order to be saved, the ship had to be thrown against the rocks and run aground. Then the sailors would have to jump ship and swim to the shore or be carried along on the broken planks.

The point that really struck me in the Bible study was that "God's deliverance came through the ship running aground." And once the sailors survived the awful weeks of desperation and fear, they were mightily placed in Malta where the islanders showered them with "unusual kindness."

What a great story of hope. No matter the situation - whether we feel overwhelmed, afraid, lonely, or hopeless - we can be assured that God has a place of rest, warmth, and kindness waiting for us. We just have to hold onto those planks and get to the shore!