In our journey through life, we often find ourselves crying out “SOS” – Save Our Souls. We face challenges, unexpected turns, and moments that make us feel like we’re barely hanging on. But what if we’ve been looking at these moments all wrong? What if, instead of seeing them as distress signals, we viewed them as opportunities for miracles?
Let’s consider the story of Noah and the ark. At first glance, it might seem like the ultimate SOS situation. God tells Noah He’s going to flood the entire earth, wiping out every living creature except for Noah, his family, and selected animals. Talk about a distress call! But was it really?
For everyone else, yes, the flood was destruction. But for Noah, it wasn’t a story of mere survival. It was a miracle. An opportunity. A chance to thrive with God and bring Him glory. This leads us to a powerful new acronym: TOS – Thriving Over Surviving.
How often in our Christian walk do we see God’s instructions or life’s unexpected turns as destruction to our dreams, plans, or hopes? We interpret these moments as SOS signals instead of recognizing them as miracle moves of God. He’s not calling us to merely survive; He’s inviting us to thrive.
Jesus himself said in John 10:10 (Amplified Version), “The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows.” We are called to a life of abundance, not just scraping by.
This abundance isn’t just for pastors or those in full-time ministry. It’s for you in your office, thriving in your 9-to-5 instead of just surviving it. It’s for you at your neighborhood block party, fully engaged rather than counting down the minutes. It’s even for you at Thanksgiving dinner with your family, embracing the moment instead of enduring it.
But how do we move from survival mode to thriving in God’s miracle moves? Here are four practical steps:
1. Crawl: Start with the basics of Christian maturity. Just as a baby learns to crawl before walking, we need to be obedient to God’s word. This means believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, reading the Bible, spending time in prayer, and living out an obedient life.
2. Walk: Once we’ve mastered the crawl, we need to walk faithfully with the Lord. This is how Noah was described – as righteous in God’s eyes and walking faithfully with Him. It’s about consistent, daily steps in our faith journey.
3. Run: This is where we step out in faith towards the big things God is calling us to do. Remember, when God told Noah to build the ark, rain had never existed before. Noah was building something for a phenomenon he’d never seen. Are we willing to run towards God’s miracles, even when they seem impossible or don’t make sense to us?
4. Wrestle: Throughout our journey – crawling, walking, and running – we will encounter moments of wrestling with God. When Scripture confuses us, when promises seem delayed, when miracles don’t unfold as we expect, we must wrestle these things out with God. Like Jacob in Genesis 32, who wrestled with God and refused to let go until he received his blessing, we too must persevere in our spiritual wrestlings.
Consider this: Noah walked faithfully and built the ark for 120 years before the rain came. How often do we give up after 12 minutes when God doesn’t immediately fulfill His promise? Wrestling with God is part of our growth, part of our journey towards the miracles He has for us.
The story of Noah isn’t just about a flood or an ark. It’s about God speaking to someone, using them for His glory. And that’s the opportunity we all have as sons and daughters of God. He’s calling each of us to something, and because He is good, it’s something great – even if it doesn’t seem great in our eyes.
What’s on the other side of your “Noah moment”? What miracle is God calling you to step into? It might be starting a new business, having a child, pursuing further education, or something entirely different. But here’s the real miracle: God Himself is on the other side, walking with you every step of the way.
The creator of the universe wants to speak to you, to use you for His glory. This doesn’t mean you’ll get everything you ask for or hope for. But it does mean that God will be with you – in your tears and in your joys, in your successes and your failures.
As we reflect on this, let’s remember the powerful words from Romans 8:31-39. We are more than conquerors through Christ. Nothing can separate us from His love – not trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. Not even death or life, angels or demons, the present or the future, powers, height or depth, or anything else in all creation.
So, let’s stop merely surviving. Let’s start thriving. Let’s be image-bearers of God, bringing Him glory in everything we do. Let’s walk obediently and faithfully towards and through the miracles God has for us.
The next time you feel like crying out “SOS,” remember: God isn’t calling you to survive. He’s inviting you to thrive. Embrace His miracle moves in your life, and watch as He transforms your distress signals into testimonies of His glory and grace.