A man was lost at sea. The only survivor of a shipwreck. He drifted on a small piece of the ship until he washed up on a small but uninhabited island. Each day, the man prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none came.

The man began to scavenge the shore and the nearby foliage and eventually he managed to build a little hut out of driftwood and dried palm fronds to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. He was able to build a small fire using two pieces of dried wood. He keep a small fire burning constantly near his hut for cooking and for warmth.

Then one day, as he was returning after scavenging for food, he saw smoke rolling up to the sky. He ran toward his hut only to see it going up in flames. The man fell to his knees. He had lost everything. He felt as if God had abandon him. He looked toward the heavens and began to sob in grief and anger.

"Oh, God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next morning, as he lay on the sand, he heard the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. He stood to his feet and began to wave his arms frantically. The ship fired a flare and soon he saw a small boat being lowered to the sea. They had come to rescue him.

The man fell into the arms of his rescuers. He sobbed out the question, "How did you find me?"

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

(A variation of a story from an unknown source)

Remember.. God will never abandon you!

We sometimes find ourselves in the place where we think God has abandon us. It seems like the whole world is caving in on us. That is not the time to get discouraged or to lose heart. The very thing that seems intent on destroying us may very well be the source of escape and victory.

We need to remember that God love us and He is at work in all of our circumstances. So the next time your world is caving in on you and you want to cry out to God in frustration and pain.. remember.. He loves you and He is at work even in those things to bring about your rescue and ultimate victory.