Galatians 6:9 ‘And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.’
DAILY READING – Luke 8:26-56; Genesis 13:1-14:24; Psalm 7
In 2018, a British woman named Kay Longstaff, who worked as a flight attendant, boarded the Norwegian Star cruise ship on her way to Venice. But on the morning of August 19th, as the ship drew near Croatia, she was standing on the deck, when she fell off into the Adriatic Sea. When alarm was raised, the ship tried to turn around to look for her, but by the time it finally did turn, she had drifted out of sight. The Coast Guard was immediately notified and a search and rescue operation ensued.
After falling off the cruise ship, Kay Longstaff threaded water for 10 hours before help came. Fortunately for her, the waters were calm and the temperature of the water was around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. But it was not easy for her to stay afloat. She had suffered haematoma on her right cheek from where she hit the water and she had hypothermia. And after a ten hour battle to stay alive, her body had weakened and she had come close to giving up. However, it was at the very moment when she thought that she could no longer survive that the boat of the coast guards spotted her. What a relief it was for her to be finally rescued!
She told the rescuers she had been floating on the sea all the time and singing so as not to fall asleep and to preserve her body temperature. Doing that for ten long hours., with no help in sight was hard work. But because she persevered, she stayed alive long enough to be rescued. She was saved, because she decided to endure to the end.
Mathew 24:13 says ‘But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.;
Indeed we must learn not to give up too soon. Even if surrounded by contrary situations we must be prepared to keep hoping on God until we see His salvation. At the red sea, the children of Israel were out of options and had their backs against the wall. But when they cried out to God, He told them to stand and see His salvation. Anytime we come to waters too high for us, we need to stand still and hope in God’s salvation. Despite the raging of the sea God is at work, He is making a way. And it is by faith we stand. We need to maintain strong faith in God so as to see Him at work in our situation. And faith comes by hearing God’s Word. Therefore there is a need to keep filling our hearts continually with the Word, until our actions are dominated and controlled by what God says. No matter what comes your way, remain strong and very courageous, God is always there and He is working in your favor.
In Isaiah 43:2 God says, ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you’ (The Amplified Bible).
This verse makes it clear that even in the worst of situations, God makes a way for us. When we pass through the water and the fire, we are not remaining there, rather we are only going through. And we come out on the other side better than when we went in. Indeed challenges are there to make you better and not bitter. And storms are there to make you stronger. Despite what may seem like a negative situation, God is working out His higher purpose in your life. And He who began a good work in you, will complete it. He is the Author and finisher of our faith. That means, what He begins in us , He also completes. This is why you must keep persevering. Surely there is an end and your expectations shall not be cut short. Important things in the world are accomplished by those who keep on trying despite the odds. People often succeed at the point where others have given up. The point of giving up is often the place and time, that the tide will turn. Therefore stay focused, persistent and relentless. Help is on the way. All things are working for your good. One day, you’ll look back on everything you’ve been through and you will indeed see how faithful God has been.
PRAYER: Lord, please help me to make your Word top priority in my life, so that I can always walk by faith, and not by sight. I thank You Lord, for Your continual faithfulness in my life in Jesus Name
Quote :
Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.- –