On August 28, 1815, Captain Riley sensed something was wrong. It was 3:00 in the morning. A thick fog had surrounded his ship, so they were late arriving at port.
Suddenly, a loud rumble filled Riley’s ears. It was breakers. The ship was on a direct course toward a rocky shoreline. Africa’s western edge greeted the captain and his small crew. The eleven on board scrambled to avoid smashing against the large coastal rocks.
The ship fell victim to the rocky African shore. Small boats were launched to carry the crew to safety, but it wasn’t what they wanted, or expected.
They’d landed at the 3,000mile-long, 1,100-mile-wide Sahara Desert! Hostile desert tribes, unbearable terrain, brutal 120 degrees each day, the scorching inescapable sun, and daily hunger and thirst awaited them.
The crew looked out upon the landscape: only endless miles of bare desert. No grass, no shrubs, no trees. Immediately, they faced a hostile band of thieves. They escaped to their wrecked ship, but safety didn’t last long. Shortly after this, a large group of slave traders, murderers, and thieves found and surrounded them. Few sailors had escaped slavery.
Having sailed from the small Connecticut River hamlet of Middletown, Connecticut, they’d left their families three months earlier. The eleven men had every expectation of arriving back home.
In this account based on a true story, you might see some parallels to your own life. You might be feeling trapped. What would you do if there seemed to be no escape?
What do you do when it all seems hopeless? Where are you in this life? What are your daily struggles? Do you ever feel lost? You must be found!
For many, this happens too late. You have a chance at being found! But first, you need to feel lost.
Jesus is the Savior of lost souls. He says you can be found – today! It’s possible.
“So, I tell you, continue asking, and it will be given to you. Keep on searching and you will find. Be knocking, and the door will open for you. You will receive if you will always ask. You will find if you continue looking. And the door will open for you if you continue knocking” (Matthew 7:7-8).
Please read in your own Bible what Jesus says next. He asks, “Do any of you have a son? …You are evil people, and yet you know how to give good gifts to your children. Surely your heavenly Father knows how to give good things to those people who ask him” (Matthew 7:9-11).
Seek and follow Jesus, our Lord, and Savior, while there’s still time!