We still have to do our part

'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.' Acts 27:24

Paul must have thought he was doomed. The ship he was on had been in the middle of a massive storm. He said it had been many days since they had seen sun or stars and "we lost all hope of rescue." Then an angel visited and told him they would all be saved but they would still be shipwrecked on some island or other.

I would probably be tempted to just sit back, do nothing and wait until the ship hit rocks or the shore, since God had said all would be saved. But not Paul. He still did the stuff that you would normally do if survival was uncertain. He got the soldiers to intervene when some of the crew tried to jump ship. He insisted on everyone eating breakfast so that they would have strength for the rescue. And grain was dumped overboard to lighten the ship prior to running for shore.

Why bother when God had already assured them of survival? Why worry if half the crew jumped ship or the ship was sitting too low in the water to run safely to land?

When God assures us that something good is going to happen or he is going to rescue us from a tight spot, it doesn't mean we sit down, put our feet up and let God do all the work. We still need to work as though the result is still in doubt.

The Bible is full of promises, not the least of which is that if we put our faith and trust in Jesus then our future beyond this life is assured. But do we put our feet up and relax because God has promised us an eternity with him? Certainly not. The story today is a reminder to me that trusting God for his provision in my life is not an invitation to bludge but is, instead, an invitation to roll up the sleeves and be an active part of the fulfilment of his promises.