In the winter of 1897, the lives of 265 men hung in the balance. Eight whaling ships were intent on transporting reindeer across the Arctic Ocean when they became trapped near Point Barrow, Alaska, by ice.
There were no mega-ton icebreakers to wrest their ships free, no cargo planes to drop supplies on the ice, and no satellite phones to monitor the situation day-by-day.
These men were beyond rescue. Starvation was imminent. It was the middle of winter, and what could anyone do?
Yet, all was not lost. The Overland Relief Expedition was organized, and on December 16, 1897, an overland trek was launched from Cape Vancouver, Alaska, reaching the trapped ships 1,500 miles away on March 29, 1898.
Most of the ships had been crushed by the ice, but the men onboard were saved.
Beleaguered Christians sometimes feel like sailors surrounded by the trials of life. The mortgage, our children, sickness, and the list goes on from there. Our choices are stolen from us, and we feel crushed. If one more thing shifts, we are certain we will go down. There is nothing left to keep us afloat.
We are beyond even God’s reach. Not even he can fix the mess we are in.
Yet, God’s Word tells us we are never in a situation so dire that he cannot make a difference. His hand can reach unto the ends of the earth and into the darkest recesses. He can find us where we are, and his power can bring us out.
Genesis 18:14 asks, Is anything too hard for the Lord?
1 John 1:9 says he is faithful and just to forgive our sins.
Philippians 4:13 assures us his strength is ours.
James 4:7 tells us God will chase the devil from us.
Revelation 20:1-15 tells us Jesus holds the keys, every one, and that when we come to him, the evil one cannot deceive us. Jesus will bind the devil for a thousand years, and he will not be able to torment our souls.
Only one of those whalers died, and it had nothing to do with being lost on the ice. Even with their ships crushed and their cupboards bare, rescue was on the way. All they had to do was hold on until it arrived.
God never abandons us. Rather, his rescue mission is already under way. We may not be able to see the relief coming, and we may hear our ship cracking around us, but we cannot lose heart. God will provide us our answer even during the worst of the storm.
The worse the wind blows, the more likely God is to show up at any minute.
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Code: FGO.E.24.14b.vp