Life aboard a ship was no picnic. Especially when the voyage lasted months without coming ashore. A few weeks into the trip, all the fresh food either had been eaten or had rotted. Even the water sloshing about in barrels became putrid. The crew had to rely on hard biscuits and dried meat to survive, and often there wasn’t much of that. In addition, the sailors were at the mercy of the elements: wind, rain, hail, even snow. They had no shelter other than the dripping hold below deck. Doesn’t sound very pleasant, does it? Yet, it was still far more pleasant than not having the ship at all, then being tossed into the sea without food, water or anything to float upon.
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes (Luke 12:22–23 NIV).
This is an amazing statement from Jesus. When my husband lost his job, I felt as though I’d been tossed into the sea with nothing but waves and water surrounding me. I had nothing to hold onto. No security. I felt lost and scared.
Then God threw me a life preserver! By putting our faith in Him, my family has been blessed in many ways. Yes, my husband needs to find a new job, but until he finds the job that God has chosen for him, we are being taken care of.
God has met our day to day needs and I believe He will continue to do so as long as we need Him to!
Verse 32: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
As I am editing this devotion, my husband has yet to find a job. I admit there are days I let my mind wander, and Satan is right there to attack. He uses my weaknesses against me by making me worry about various things. But I don’t worry for long.
Throughout the day, God sends gentle reminders of His faithfulness. Whether it be through His Word, a sermon, or even a television show. Often He makes His presence known in very unexpected ways. And He never fails to meet our daily needs. So, when times are tough and you feel all alone, remember these verses and look around for God’s life preserver! He’s already tossed it to you. You just need to cling to Him.
Do you feel loved and cherished? I do. . . . Wait! . . . Do you feel that? It’s the loving arms of God wrapped around you.
Debbie Mitchell