Jump Start # 3895
Acts 27:20 “Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.”
It is one of the most chilling experiences in human nature, when all hope is gone. For the apostle, as he was sailing towards Rome, a violent storm was destroying the boat he was traveling in. The winds were contrary. The ship was being violently tossed. The cargo was pitched overboard. Dark in the day and even darker at night and even more dark within their hearts and minds, as they realized that they weren’t going to make it. All hope was gone.
I read a hand written note, written in 1902 by Jacob Vowell, a coal miner who was trapped underground in a Tennessee mine. About 200 miners were killed in an explosion. Vowell, his fourteen-year-old son and twenty-three other miners made it to a side passage. But one, by one, they all died due to a lack of air. Vowell, seeing most of the miners around him dead, scribbled a few words of goodbye and encouragement to his wife. “Live right and come to Heaven,” he encouraged his wife, Ellen. His last words were, “Oh God, for one more breath. Ellen remember me as long as you live. Goodbye darling.” All hope was gone.
For us, it might be the words from a doctor that tells us that no more can be done. All hope is gone. For some, it’s a marriage that cannot be saved. One wants out and there is no stopping that. All hope is gone. For someone else, it’s their finances. Overspending and not be careful, and now the hole that they have dug is so deep, they cannot see any way out. All hope is gone.
We have always lived with the optimism of tomorrow. There is always a tomorrow. Things will surely get better tomorrow. No matter how bad the score was, there’s always another game. Even the following verses from our passage today show hope and optimism. Paul tells the sailors to be courageous and not afraid. God appeared to him and promised that he would stand before Caesar. There was still hope.
But, what happens when there is no hope. What about the times when all hope is gone? What if there isn’t a tomorrow for this situation? How do we encourage when all hope is gone?
First, we must remember that our God is greater than any problem, any nation and any army. He has shown that time and time again. This is why prayer is essential in hopeless times. We give up as lost, and God can bring that prodigal home. We think nothing can be done and yet God opens doors. Sometimes we are quick to throw the towel in. Sometimes we give up on God.
Second, the hopelessness of this world does not impact the next room in God’s house. The problems, troubles and trials of today do not travel with us to Heaven. The sorrows of today, will be erased by the joys of seeing our Savior. This is how we muster courage, strength and faith. These troubles do not define us, nor do they defeat us. A Heaven Bound people have their sights set on the things above. They have anchored their hearts in Heaven and they know that the glory to be revealed is greater than any troubles here.
Third, there is a deep sadness when a loved one has walked through the doorway of death not knowing the Lord. They lived a life of selfish rebellion. They ignored the Lord’s love. They failed to count their blessings. They never worshipped the Lord in the way He wanted. They kept their Bible and their heart closed. Death comes and the righteous knows. There are too many passages and too much truth to keep from seeing the reality of the situation. One died apart from the Lord. One died rejecting the Lord. There is such a deep sorrow and pain that is felt. All one can hang on to is that the loved one is in the hands of God, the best place that they could be. No one understands their story more than the Lord does. No one is more merciful than the Lord is.
If they aren’t in Heaven, I’ll miss them and there aren’t supposed to be any tears in Heaven, people say. I’ve had that said to me many times. It breaks my heart to see the tears streaming down the cheeks of those who realize all hope is gone. We want our loved one in Heaven. We want to find something, anything that will give them a chance. Just a ray of sunshine, is all we are seeking. I’ve had people tell me about kindness, baptisms, and good that was done decades and decades ago. They are looking for that one last breath of air to give them hope.
Some have taken their lives. Some have died in the very act of sinful activity. Good people grasping for any hope for those who have made bad choices. What do you say? What do you do?
First, we are not God. It is not up to us to determine the eternal destiny of anyone. Only God knows.
Second, God is good. He is so good. We must believe that.
Third, if the Revelation page is true, and there is no crying in Heaven, then that’s the way it will be. I don’t know, nor have to know, how God will do that. I just need to trust the Lord.
Fourth, when someone is in the corner of hopelessness, they do not need a lecture or a sermon. “You should have preached to them,” is easy to say. Maybe they did. Maybe they didn’t. What folks facing hopelessness need are hugs, tears and support. Judgmental spirits only worsen the situation.
All hope is gone—this is why the wisdom literature reminds us that a live dog is better than a dead lion. Be the encourager to those who are dealing with hopelessness.
Roger