Thursday, October 20 ~ Miriam

Today's reading from the Chronological OT/NT Reading Plan is Jeremiah 6, 11-12; Acts 27:27-44.

The Jeremiah reading today brought Kathryn's post from yesterday to mind, so I'm not going to repeat what she talked about.

The passage in Acts really made me think about trust.  When we left off yesterday, Paul and 275 other people were in the middle of a hurricane at sea in a wooden ship that was breaking apart.  They had already thrown a bunch of the cargo and the ship's tackle overboard.  Paul had told them that the ship would be destroyed, but all the lives on board would be spared because he had to stand trial before Caesar.  Can you imagine how ludicrous that must have seemed to the soldiers and crew aboard the ship?  As we begun today's reading, they had been at the mercy of the storm for TWO WEEKS!  Can you imagine?  No wonder they'd given up hope of being saved.  And yet, as we've talked about before, God always keeps his promises.

After two weeks of fear, turmoil, being tossed about at the mercy of the wind and waves, not knowing for sure what was going to happen to them (because even though Paul told them they'd be saved, it must have seemed impossible), Paul is telling them to eat!  "Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."  I would've been doubtful internally, I'm sure, if not outwardly saying "Yeah, right."  Seriously!  The ship is being held together with rope, the cargo is gone, the tackle is gone, I'm sure everyone must've thrown up at some point with that kind of weather going on - I don't know if I can imagine a situation as miserable as that.  Although, I suppose, it may have been more miserable for Paul as a prisoner on his way to trial!  Except for his faith.  Except for his faith.

Acts 27:25 - "So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me."

Act 27:34  - "Now I urge you to take some food.  You need it to survive.  Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."

And sure enough, verse 44b - "In this way everyone reached land in safety."


Here it was their very lives that were in peril.  How is our faith?  Do we trust God with our lives?  With our children's lives?  What about trusting Him to provide for our needs?  Theoretically, I'd say yes.  But when push comes to shove, how much faith do I have, really?

Our pastor this Sunday was talking about trust.  He said kids, when they give, give everything they have.  They believe, without doubt, that more will come somehow, sometime, so they don't save or hold back - they just give without reservation.  I've seen my kids do this - I don't know about you.  "But," we say, "they have to be taught to save.  They have to be taught to put away for unforeseen circumstances.  They have to learn that unexpected things come up and they need to be prepared."  Yes, it is good to teach them those things.  And yet, we need to beware of creating little misers.  We need to teach them to save something for those unexpected things, but not to hoard.  We need to teach them to consider consequences of their actions, but not stifle their generosity.  We need to teach them to be good stewards of what they're given, but that good stewardship doesn't mean always making sure their own needs are met first.  We need to allow them to trust in His provision.  That doesn't mean they can fritter their money or resources away on inconsequential things and expect their needs to be met anyway; however, if they are faithful and give generously and not grudgingly, they will not be lacking in anything important.  What a lesson - that I still need to work on myself!

Happy Thursday!

 Tomorrow's passage:  Jeremiah 7-8, 26; Acts 28.