surviving the storm

As I read my Bible earlier this week, I had opportunity to revisit the 27th chapter of Acts which details a fateful sailing trip of the apostle Paul…

Traveling as a prisoner, on his way to Rome, Paul found himself on board a ship with many others – faced with a perplexing decision: To sail or not to sail? That was the million-dollar question. Paul responded, "I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship—to say nothing of our lives!—if we put out to sea now." Hindsight being 20/20, Paul’s warning was remarkably accurate.

However, the crew of the ship decided to disregard the instruction they received and set sail anyway. What followed was a direct encounter with the ‘storm-of-storms’. The crew and passengers found themselves in peril with no apparent means of escape.

And this is this exactly what we do from time to time – we ignore godly council and then wonder how we end up in the middle of a storm (relational, spiritual, physical, financial), losing control of everything.

BUT, THE STORM THAT YOU FACE TODAY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE UNTO DEATH

There are several important points in this passage of scripture which can help us all safely navigate the storms of life:

DO NOT
• Ignore godly council – ‘11 However, the centurion paid greater attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.’
• Let the winds of life take you where they may. – ’15… when the ship was caught and was unable to head against the wind, we gave up and, letting her drift, were borne along.’
• Seek your own route of escape – ‘30 And as the sailors were trying to escape [secretly] from the ship and were lowering the small boat into the sea, pretending that they were going to lay out anchors from the bow, 31Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.’

DO
• Lighten the load. Release from your life those things which are burdening you. – ‘18 As we were being dangerously tossed about by the violence of the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard’
• Seek God’s Wisdom – ‘21 But after long fasting [and no doubt, so prayer], Paul stood forth in the midst of them…’NKJV
• Be Courageous and believe God – ‘25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told me.’
• Release the anchors, loosen the rudders and raise the sail – ‘40 … they cut the cables and severed the anchors and left them in the sea; at the same time unlashing the ropes that held the rudders and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they headed for the beach.’

Understand that you will need to release any anchor that is not God. These men also loosened the ropes to the rudders. In sailing, rudders steer the ship. If you are going to successfully navigate the storms in your life, you will need to take your hands off of the steering and quit charting your own course. Which brings us to the last point – they raised the sail. Traditionally, the raising of a white flag or banner is a sign of surrender. If we are to be successful in the storms of life, we will need to surrender our situations and ourselves to God’s perfect plan and purpose.

Now, the ship still broke up. However, as we see in verse 44, ‘so it was that ALL [all 276 passengers/crew] escaped safely to land.’ It happened just as God said it would.

Trust God, follow the wisdom He has outlined in His Word and you will make it safely to shore!