Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ …1 Peter 1:3 NAS

In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton set out for his third expedition to Antarctica. His ship, Endurance, became stuck in pack ice five months later, marooning his crew of twenty-seven. The crushed ship sank November 1915. Half a year passed before Shackleton implemented a daring rescue attempt, leaving his crew in the frozen Antarctic with a promise to return. With a team of five men, he trekked across days of ice, sailed 800 miles in a lifeboat, and scaled mountains to reach civilization and procure a sea-worthy ship for the rescue. Against all odds, he returned. Every single member of the crew was rescued after two years on the ice.

Like Shackleton, we often battle a hostile environment. Hope seems impossible. Those persecuted for their faith must fight both physical pain and emotional despair.

In John 14:3, Jesus said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” His promise not only inspires hope for the future, but endurance for the present.

If a shipwrecked crew relied on the promise of their captain, how much more can we trust the promise of our Savior?

Lord, thank You that we can trust You when hope is all but gone.

written by Sheri Hunt