It's the last thing to go…

We are looking at an incident in Paul’s life and looking what difficulties cause us to do.  In Verse 20 we see that difficulties cause us to despair.  Verse 20 (NIV), “We finally gave up all hope of being saved.”

Fourteen days in total darkness out on a ship out in a storm, they don’t know where they’re going, they’re being beat up, tossed back and forth.  They’ve given up their cargo, their tackle, their food.  Finally they give up hope.  That’s the last thing to go.  Hope. 

But they’d forgotten one thing:  even in a storm GOD is in control.  HE hasn’t left you.  You may not feel HIM.  If you feel far from God, guess who moved?  HE hasn’t left you.  HE’s with you in that storm.  HE’ll help you through it.  GOD is testing you to see if you’ll trust HIM.

Just a thought from the front porch…