Hebrews 10:35,36 “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he had promised.”
A ship sank several hundred miles west of Indonesia, and one man floated for days before getting washed up on a remote uninhabited island. He felt initially euphoric that he hadn’t died, but that soon gave way to anger, and then loneliness and despair. He managed to stay alive eating certain roots, collecting bugs, and trapping animals. As days became weeks, he built a makeshift home and searched the horizon repeatedly for any sign of a ship. He asked God to save him, but felt totally forgotten.
One day whilst out hunting, he saw smoke rising in the sky from near the beach. He rushed there to discover to his horror that his shack had caught fire and burnt down. He railed at God: “Why? I’m trying to trust you. I want to keep hold of my faith in you, but now you let this happen!” Hours later, he looked into the distance and couldn’t believe what he saw: a fishing vessel was coming towards him! When it arrived, he asked them: “How on earth did you know I was on this island desperately waiting for help?” The captain answered: “We didn’t, but we saw your smoke signals.”
Often we’re tempted to throw away our confidence in God. When I was called to Burundi, it was so clear that I had to go. Yet that clarity soon dissipated amidst confusion as to what I would end up doing, having my money stolen, being robbed by streetkids, being isolated, misunderstood, and more. But God’s ways are not our ways. Sometimes it’s only later that we can look back with gratitude at the messiness of what we had to go through which taught and grew and shaped us to become more like him.
Lord, I choose to hold on rather than throw away my confidence in you. Help me persevere with you today. Amen!
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