May 4, 2006
Lost At Sea
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Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? —Job 2:10 In the fall of 1982, Deborah Kiley set out with three other young people to deliver the 58-foot yacht Trashman from Maine to Florida. Off the coast of North Carolina, they encountered gale winds and mountainous seas that sank their boat. Enduring 4 grueling days at sea without food or fresh water, the crew clung to life in a rubber dinghy in shark-infested waters.
In her book Albatross, Deborah recalls how one of the crew shouted curses at God for their dilemma. Despite her fatigue, Deborah silently recited The Lord’s Prayer and asked God to teach her through this crisis. Later, the same young man drank seawater, became delirious, jumped overboard, and was eaten by sharks. Eventually, the survivors were rescued by a Russian freighter.
Each of us responds in different ways to a crisis. Centuries ago, Job was hit by one wave of bad news after another. At one point his wife told him to curse God and die. Job’s response was profound: “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (Job 2:10).
The next time a crisis hits, recognize God’s sovereignty and do as Deborah Kiley did—ask God to teach you something through it.
O Lord, I would not ask You why
These trials come my way
But what there is for me to learn
Of Your great love, I pray. —D. De Haan
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. —Job