Sovereignty and Shipwrecks

"'My good children,' I replied, 'we must not despair, although we seem deserted. See how those on whose skill and good faith we depended have left us cruelly to our fate in the hour of danger. God will never do so. He has not forsaken us, and we will trust Him still.'" Johann Wyss in The Swiss Family Robinson

I grew up watching the Disney production of The Swiss Family Robinson. I loved the adventure and the resourcefulness of this family. However, it wasn't until recently that I picked up the book and found something thrilling! The film version glossed over the most powerful and important part of the story*. How was this family able to overcome these great obstacles and difficulties? In the book we see that this family is carried through every trial and triumph by entrusting themselves fully to the amazing sovereignty of God! Thanking God each morning and evening they entrust themselves to His care and go about the business of dealing with the day. Because they trust in the sovereignty of God they are able to live without bitterness towards the sailors who abandoned them, and think upon them in charity. Amazing!

We see this same fortitude and faith in the person of Joseph. How could a man be dealt so many ill turns and still move forward without bitterness, hatred and despair? Even to the point of assuring the very brothers who sold him into slavery that he bears them no ill will. Truly amazing! Yet Joseph was fully convinced of the sovereignty of God, and trusted in that. Assuring his brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore do not be afraid, I will provide for you and your little ones." (Genesis 50:20-21a)

So the question for you and I is: "How big is our God?" Is our God big enough to work good through every tragedy, difficulty and heartache? Is our God big enough to redress every wrong, and free us from the need for retribution? Is our God big enough to give us assurance in times of political turmoil and financial difficulty? The God of the Bible decidedly is greater than even these meager worries necessitate. So the only question left is whether or not we are willing to trust Him.

*It should be noted that there is some disagreement as to which edition is closest to the "original" and whether certain themes were added in later editions