In 2010, the eyes and prayers of the world turned to Chile, where 33 miners were buried alive 200 stories underground by the catastrophic explosion and collapse of a 100-year-old gold and copper mine. Over the next 69 days, an international team worked in a desperate attempt to rescue the trapped men.

[See the Dictionary of Bible Themes entry about “courage” on Bible Gateway]

The 33, a major motion picture about the calamity, opened November 13 starring Antonio Banderas. A gripping story of resilience and personal transformation, the film depicts the Earth’s darkest depths while revealing the spiritual light the men grasped through prayer and reading the Bible to rely on God to gain the necessary courage needed for both the miners and their families.

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Rescue in Thailand, Rescue for Us All]

At the time of the actual disaster, Christianity Today published this report:

“There are actually 34 of us,” nineteen-year-old [miner Jimmy Sanchez] wrote in a letter sent up from the mine on Tuesday, “because God has never left us down here.”

Amid reports of squabbling on the surface among families of the trapped miners, some say things are much calmer underground as everyone prepares for this week’s attempt to bring them back up. The men have worked hard to keep their spirits buoyant during the ordeal, organizing themselves into a community and dividing up their living-room-sized space. Early on, they set aside a space to pray daily, and religious groups have converged on the mine to serve the miners’ spiritual needs. Once a supply line was established, Seventh-Day Adventists sent down mini-Bibles with magnifying glasses; the Jesus Film Project loaded 33 MP3 players with an audio adaptation of the famous JESUS film. A crucifix was sent down in August, and it’s said that miners also requested statues of Mary and the saints.

This dramatic story is a vivid reminder to us that the Bible is our rescue book, giving us the light we need in a dark world. Use the following Scripture verses to help you meditate on the saving nature of God in our every day lives:

I may walk through valleys
as dark as death,
   but I won’t be afraid.
You are with me,
   and your shepherd’s rod
   makes me feel safe. Psalm 23:4 (CEV)

I put all my hope in the Lord.
   He leaned down to me;
   he listened to my cry for help.
He lifted me out of the pit of death,
   out of the mud and filth,
   and set my feet on solid rock.
      He steadied my legs.
He put a new song in my mouth,
   a song of praise for our God.
Many people will learn of this and be amazed;
   they will trust the Lord. Psalm 40:1-3 (CEB)

Wait for the Lord.
   Be strong and don’t lose hope.
   Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NIRV)

God is our protection and our strength.
   He always helps in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid if the earth shakes,
   or if the mountains fall into the sea.
We will not fear even if the oceans roar and foam,
   or if the mountains shake at the raging sea. Psalm 46:1-3 (ICB)

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (AMP)