In Acts 27, we read about Paul’s voyage on a ship as a prisoner of Rome. The journey became perilous when a storm drove the ship off course. The crew battled the storm—they jettisoned the cargo, then threw the ship’s tackle overboard, but things began looking very bleak. Verse 20 says, “And since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.”[1]
I think that’s an apt description of life sometimes. Usually, people don’t lose hope or faith in one fell swoop. More often, they are abandoned gradually. As storms of life persist, endurance wanes until it gives out. But we must never abandon hope. Jesus saved Paul and that ship. And if we will faithfully trust in Jesus, even during persistent storms, He will save us too. Don’t give in to gradual abandonment. Trust in Jesus with enduring perseverance.
[1] LSB