Giving Up All Hope

"When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved." Acts 27:20

When the storms of life take all the light out of our lives for days and days and the trouble and suffering does not let up, we can begin to feel that helplessness that means we just know we aren't going to make it. These times are devastating, when we can't believe in hope anymore. Our faith is finished and we are ready to throw in the towel. We start to relive all the decisions that got us into peril and the 'woulda, coulda, shouldas, start to come to mind. The fear of being aboard a sailing ship when it sinks in the middle of the sea is more than disheartening. We start to consider what it will be like to drown, and how exactly we will die. Luke is painfully honest here and even though they make it through this shipwreck miraculously, he doesn't edit his story. He tells us exactly what he was thinking and feeling at the point of despair.

I appreciate the honesty and detailed transparency of Scripture. The Bible is not only the truth, it is real. Luke, the author of the Gospel and faithful follower of Christ Jesus, who had heard about Peter walking on the water and about Jesus calming the storms is done believing and hoping. He says 'we' gave up, meaning Paul and the captain and the crew and the prisoners and passengers and the centurion, all agreed.... this is the end.

Oh how many times in my life I have thought that it was the end, or that something awful was going to happen. Oh how many times my faith has been pushed beyond it's limits and I can't trust God anymore. I would not be honest with you if I did not share openly that I have known hopelessness. On more than one occasion I have been beyond hope and I am here to tell you that I survived and that I still believe Him and trust Him even more. I can tell you this. Nobody leaves this earth without God's permissive will. He is the author and finisher of our faith and every life. A couple of times I didn't think I was going to actually die, I just wished I could.

My friends, today you may be facing darkness and hopelessness, but praise His Name, He is here for us. He has never left me nor forsaken me even when I didn't believe and had give up hope. He came though. I came through. All we have to do is put ourselves in His mighty hands and wait on Him, trust Him. Even beyond our hope. This verse is not the end of Paul, Luke or anyone of the 276 people on that ship. They all miraculously survive a horrific shipwreck and safely get to shore. I guess we will just have to trust Him until He is done with us.

In His Hands,
Pastor Fred

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