Sometimes the smallest creatures teach us the biggest lessons about life—and about hope.

In a fascinating experiment, scientists placed wharf rats, one by one, into tubs of deep water. The rats couldn’t float on their backs; the surfaces had been sprayed to force them to swim. They paddled furiously, their tiny bodies fighting to stay above water. But after about seventeen exhausting minutes, their strength gave out—and one by one, they sank beneath the surface.

But the story doesn’t end there.

The scientists repeated the experiment with a new group of rats under the same harsh conditions. This time, though, just as each rat was on the brink of giving up, they were rescued. The researchers reached in, lifted the rats out, dried them off, fed them, and let them rest in their cages.

Later, these same rats were placed back into the tubs.

And something remarkable happened.

Instead of giving up after seventeen minutes, they kept swimming. Not for an hour. Not even for five. They swam — desperately, doggedly — for over thirty-seven hours.

Why?

Because they had hope.

Somewhere deep in those little creatures, a memory had taken root: “Last time, I was saved. Maybe it will happen again.”
That tiny spark of expectation gave them the strength to endure far longer than anyone thought possible.

Hope changes everything.

The Bible says it plainly in Romans 8:24:
"For we are saved by hope."

Hope isn’t just a pretty idea to hang on a wall in cursive letters. It's oxygen for the soul. It’s the fire that keeps you swimming when the waters of life feel endless, and your strength is almost gone. Without hope, we give up. But with it, we endure far beyond what we ever thought we could.

God knew how vital hope would be for His people. Over and over again, He instructed them to remember their rescues:

• "Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt," (Exodus 13:3).
• "Beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt," (Deuteronomy 6:12).

David, the man after God’s own heart, practiced this himself:
"O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore, will I remember thee," (Psalm 42:6).

And Paul reminds us in Romans 5 that endurance itself creates a virtuous cycle:
"We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience (perseverance); and patience, experience; and experience, hope." (Romans 5:3-4).

If you’re feeling tired in the waters right now, you’re not alone. We’re in this together.

Let’s encourage one another by sharing the stories of how God has come through for us. Our past rescues fuel our present hope.
Take a moment today to remember — maybe even write it down or tell a friend — how God lifted you when you were sinking.

Hope multiplies when it’s shared.

So, keep swimming.
Rescue is closer than you think.