Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"One Long Swim"
Jun. 6, 2018
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
~ Isaiah 43:2 (ESV)
It is always an exciting thing to see someone do something which can't be done.
The Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, Lindbergh's solo flight of the Atlantic, the collapse of the four-minute mile. All those were at one time considered to be impossible, but nowadays two of the three are commonplace, and the third is hardly a rarity.
Truth is, trying to establish a new record is becoming more difficult.
To his credit, Frenchman Ben Lecomte has found such a reward. You see in 1988 when Ben Lecomte was a young man, he became the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean. Now, 30 years later, he wants to be the first person to swim the Pacific.
By the time you read this, Lecomte should have begun his swim from Choshi, Japan.
For the next six to eight months, he will be trying to span the 5,500-mile distance to San Francisco. Lecomte is being escorted by boats that have anti-shark and predator repellants, and he will wear a special suit to keep him safe from the waters which could get as cold as 50 degrees. Understand, he is not going to make the swim without ever getting out of the water. He will swim eight hours and then get out to rest and recoup. The next morning special GPS equipment will drop Lecomte into the water at the exact same place he exited.
And if you wonder why Lecomte is doing such a thing, his sponsors would tell you it is to raise awareness for the health of the ocean and the dangers of water pollution. Most certainly, his is a noble cause and if he completes it he ought to be praised.
Now there is no question that the Pacific Ocean is a formidable foe, but I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the dangers of the Pacific are child's play when compared to the enemies the Christ conquered during His lifetime expedition to rescue sinful humanity.
Similarly, Lecomte knows that if he fails in his quest to conquer the Pacific, the day will come when someone will succeed. Not so for our Savior. There was no second string, nobody in training, no one warming up in the bull pen. Either Jesus did the job of saving us or that job would be forever left undone.
Sadly, it should be noted that when Lecomte finishes his work, he will have a few minutes in the spotlight and then most people will live out their lives unchanged. Not so with the Lord. When Jesus announced it was finished, an announcement underscored by His resurrection, the future of humanity was changed.
For you see on that day, Christ had done what He alone could do, and He brought believers with Him.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You have given to the children of men many gifts and strengths. Yet, there are those things only You can do. For our Savior and the redemption He has won, accept our praise and thanksgiving. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
NOTE: Lecomte's journey, which is being called "The Swim," will be live-streamed by Discovery and shared on social media, so you can follow him every step of the way.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one carried by the Good News Network on May 26, 2018. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/as-a-means-of-saving-the-ocean-man-tries-to-become-first-person-to-swim-across-the-pacific-starting-tomorrow/
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
It is always an exciting thing to see someone do something which can't be done.
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