THE FAITH TO ENDURE

The Faith to Endure

Suffering produces endurance.

Romans 5:3

READ ACTS 27:27–38

Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) led an unsuccessful expedition to cross Antarctica in 1914. When his ship, aptly named Endurance, became trapped in heavy ice in the Weddell Sea, it became an endurance race just to survive. With no means of communicating with the rest of the world, Shackleton and his crew used lifeboats to make the journey to the nearest shore—Elephant Island. While most of the crew stayed behind on the island, Shackleton and five crewmen spent two weeks traveling 800 miles across the ocean to South Georgia to get help for those left behind. The “failed” expedition became a victorious entry in the history books when all of Shackleton’s men survived, thanks to their courage and endurance.

The apostle Paul knew what it meant to endure.

 During a stormy sea voyage to Rome to face trial for his belief in Jesus, Paul learned from an angel of God that the ship would sink. But the apostle kept the men aboard encouraged, thanks to God’s promise that all would survive, despite the loss of the ship (Acts 27:23-24).

When disaster strikes, we tend to want God to immediately make everything better. But God gives us the faith to endure and grow. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “Suffering produces endurance” (Romans 5:3 esv). Knowing that, we can encourage each other to keep trusting God in hard times.

By Linda Washington

REFLECT & PRAY

Heavenly Father, I need Your help to keep going, even when it’s tough.

What’s your usual response to hardship? How can you encourage someone who’s going through difficult times?

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

The journey from Jerusalem to Rome consumed about three years of Paul’s life, beginning with his arrest in Jerusalem—which happened all the way back in Acts 21:27! That arrest wasn’t prompted by Paul’s actions but by those of his Jewish countrymen who had rioted. His arrest nearly resulted in a flogging (22:25-29) and generated a series of trials before Roman-appointed officials—none of whom found Paul guilty of anything (26:30-32). As was his right as a Roman citizen, Paul appealed his case to Caesar, and that choice set him on the journey that would include the shipwreck events in Acts 27.

To learn more about Paul, visit Paul’s Life and Ministry. Bill Crowder