The novel Mysterious Island by Jules Verne tells the story of five men who escape a Civil War prison camp by hijacking a hot air balloon. As they rise into the air, they realize the wind is carrying them toward the ocean. They watch as their homeland disappears over the horizon. They wonder how long can the balloon stay aloft?

Hours pass by and the balloon starts to descend closer and closer to the ocean. There is no way to heat the air in the balloon so they decide to cast overboard some of the weight. They reluctantly discard shoes, coats and weapons and feel their balloon rise-but only temporarily. The unsettled aviators soon find themselves again getting dangerously close to the waves. Now they decide to toss their food overboard. They know it's better to be high and hungry than to drown on a full belly!

Unfortunately, this too is only a short-lived solution, and the balloon once again threatens to dump the men in the sea. What can they do? One has an idea. They can cut away the basket beneath them, tie the ropes together and sit on them.

As they disconnect the basket, the very thing that they had been standing on, it drops into the ocean and the balloon rises. But soon the balloon again starts to descend dangerously near the water. At their final moment of despair, however, one man spots land! Not a moment too soon! As they approach the shore, the balloon now bumping across the waves, the men are so excited they jump into the water and swim to the welcoming beach.

In this story the five were spared because they were able to let go of what would prevent them staying alive. Of course, all analogies break down taken too far, and the men, seeing that their lives could soon end, could gladly throw away real necessities which, if they didn't drown, they would quickly need for survival anyway.

In our case, we understand that we need to realize what the spiritual necessities in our lives are: Hebrews 12:1, 3: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."

Let's determine to throw off all that hinders us. Let's resolve to allow God to show us the spiritual necessities.

Yes, we may end up going places we don't expect to, but we can count on the fact that God won't let us down. It's a promise! Jesus Christ was made perfect and "He became the author of eternal salvation to all them who obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). God has not offered us short lived solutions. Human answers will not work in our lives. We should be continually thankful for the spiritual solution that God offers us through His tremendous plan of salvation.

I really appreciate what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:7: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

It's a wonderful destination that God has called us to seek. Let's continue to look over the horizon and past the trials behind us, and before us, to that better world coming.