Tag Archives: storm

Anchored In The Word

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ANCHORED IN THE WORD

“‘Last night God’s angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, saying to me, ‘Don’t give up, Paul. You’re going to stand before Caesar yet — and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.’ So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what He told me. But we’re going to shipwreck on some island or other.’

“On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight, the sailors sensed that we were approaching land. Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after that, ninety feet. Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out four anchors and prayed for daylight.” Acts 27:23-29 (The Message).

What a hopeless situation! Adrift on the ocean in a hurricane, no engine to carry them to safety, the wind too strong to power the ship anywhere but into disaster, the sailors were at the mercy of the elements. To crown it all, they were being driven onto land. They had no idea where they were; it was pitch dark, in the middle of the night and dawn was still hours away.

The best they could do was to throw out their anchors and hope they would hold until daylight. And they prayed! To whom did they pray? Most likely to their gods! They didn’t know Paul’s God. What good was that? Firstly, their gods did not exist; secondly they were deceived into thinking they did exist, but they were actually in Satan’s grip. What was his agenda? Drown them! He wanted Paul’s hide and the others didn’t matter.

Where was Paul? Praying! To whom was he praying? To the God he had served these many years! He knew his God. He had delivered him through many perils in the past. I can imagine that Paul was not praying for a miracle. He was praying for a word. It was God’s word that had steadied him in many a difficult situation. He knew that, when God spoke, he had an anchor.

Once again God came to him with a word. Not only was Paul still bound for Rome, but all those with him as well. Paul had his anchor, not a flimsy piece of metal that would try to grip a rock in a violent storm, but the sure word of God that would hold in the fiercest gale. Armed with this reassurance, he spoke what he believed.

How different is God’s way from the “name it and claim it” philosophy that is rife in some parts of the church today. God has not left the initiative to us to choose the “word” we want to believe. The devil tried to stick that trick on Jesus but He refused to buy it. ‘Jump!’ said the devil. ‘No way!’ Jesus fired back, “‘…Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Deuteronomy 8:3b (NIV), He quoted.

God’s word is not a magic formula to get what we want. It’s His mandate for living life His way so that He gets what He wants. Paul knew that, and he waited on God for His word to guide them through this trial. When God had spoken, Paul had his instructions and his security, and could carry the message to the poor sailors who were frantically trying to get their non-existent god’s attention.

The tragedy is that so many believers have been taught this “faith” walk, and when God doesn’t respond to every click of their fingers, they become disillusioned and blame Him for not answering their prayers. But God is not obliged to do things our way. His way is submission to Him. He is telling the story, not us, and we are the characters in His story, not the authors.

Armed with the sure word of God, Paul was able to bring comfort and reassurance to the entire complement of people on the ship. Whether they believed him or not what up to them. God had spoken and Paul had given the “amen” to His promise. “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “yes” in Christ. And so, through Him, the “amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV),

They Thought They Knew Better!

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THEY THOUGHT THEY KNEW BETTER!

“We came under the lee of a small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails. But the rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to avoid them by throwing out drift anchors.

“Next day, out to sea and badly damaged by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard. The third day the sailors lightened the ship further by throwing off all the tackle and provisions. It had been many days since we had seen either sun or stars. Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue.

“With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in our midst and said, “Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you there’ll be not a single drowning among us, although I can’t say as much for the ship — the ship itself is doomed.” Acts 27:16-22 (The Message).

Who are the “we” in this story? No doubt it was “all hands on deck” for everyone on the ship including the centurion and the prisoners. Every pair of hands was necessary to save the ship from being dashed to pieces on the island’s jagged rocks. Once they were past that peril there was no letting up because the ship was in danger of sinking in the violence of the wind and waves.

Everyone worked frantically to lighten the ship. No thought now of saving the cargo! There goes all the money they were supposed to be earning, by the foolish chance the captain took! They stripped the ship to the bare bones in the hopes that they could keep it afloat until they hit land somewhere.

All their values shifted in the peril they were in. It was no longer about business. Now it was about lives. It’s a pity the powers-that-be had not considered that in the first place. But it was too late now — a good lesson learned if they ever survived!

Where was Paul in this spell of furious activity? Stripped to the waist hauling cargo? No, Paul had his own work to do. Somewhere on the ship, out of the way of the toiling men, Paul was praying. His work was just as vital as that of the sailors. It took time and effort to engage with the Father for the lives of the people on board. Paul took nothing for granted. Like Moses centuries before, he stood before the Lord in intercession for men who did not deserve His mercy. They were all in it together and together they would live or die.

Some may have looked upon Paul as a shirker. His hands were needed to get the job done as quickly as possible. Some may have even felt resentful towards him. But Paul turned his face towards the Father and, in the midst of the fury of the storm, he grew quiet inside as he focussed on God. Deliberately shutting out every other sound, he listened for the inner voice that would give him clear instruction for the moment.

Since God is everywhere, he knew that God was there. In his heart there echoed the many promises of His word. “When you pass through the waters I will be with you…” Isaiah 43:3a NIV); “…He will never leave you or forsake you,” Deuteronomy 31:6c (NIV). In his prayer he appealed to the mercy of God, that attribute that was heaviest in Him. Perhaps he recalled how Moses pleaded for the lives of God’s unfaithful people, undeserving as they were, and prayed for the lives of everyone on board.

The Father graciously heard the passionate cries of His child, and into Paul’s heart stole the peace that transcends all understanding, the sure confirmation that his prayer had been answered. With confident steps he returned to the toiling men with the reassurance, “No-one will be lost.” Would they believe him this time?

Once again, God was there to thwart the murderous plot of the enemy to sacrifice the entire crew in order to destroy Paul. His overshadowing protection in spite of the danger, would prove to all on board that there is no other God and that He is powerful and full of compassion.

Whose Agenda?

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WHOSE AGENDA?

“By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned, ‘I see only disaster ahead for cargo and ship — to say nothing of our lives! — if we put out to sea now.’

“But it was not the best harbour for staying the winter. Phoenix, a few miles further on, was more suitable. The centurion set Paul’s warning aside and let the ship captain and the ship-owner talk him into trying for the next harbour.

“When a gentle southerly breeze came up, they weighed anchor, thinking it would be smooth sailing. But they were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor’easter, struck. They lost all control of the ship. It was a cork on the storm.” Acts 27:10-15 (The Message).

It would be natural and easy for us to read this account of Paul’s voyage from a purely human point of view. Winter on the Mediterranean was storm season and to venture out in a sailing ship was madness. The ship captain, ship owner and sailors all knew that. The centurion also knew it, although he was not a seasoned sailor. So why did they try to defy the natural order of things to continue their journey, knowing that disaster was inevitable?

Was it greed that drove them on? To get their cargo to its market meant more money for everyone. That’s logical. To remain in dock for the winter would mean less money — and extra expense for the centurion who had prisoners to feed and accommodate for several months.

Although they knew the conditions of the sea very well, the captain and the ship-owner were fooled into believing that the gentle breeze that was blowing at that moment was the foretaste of a smooth and uneventful voyage. They ignored Paul’s warning. After all, what did he know? He was a preacher, not a mariner! They had yet to learn that he had a hot-line that was prophetic and accurate because God was intimately involved in the destiny of His son, Paul. He had a date in Rome and it was up to the centurion and the ship to get him there safely.

But, as always, there was an enemy with his own agenda, at work in the situation. It was Satan’s plot, no doubt, to send the ship, its contents and it passengers to the bottom of the ocean to prevent Paul from ever delivering his message in Rome. Like his Master Jesus, when He was on a mission to deliver a demon-possessed man in the Gentile territory of the Gadarenes, a storm was a good way to get rid of the opposition. It did not matter that a few others not involved in Paul’s mission would perish with him.

It does not necessarily mean that Satan was responsible for creating the storm. Did he have the power to do that? But it does mean that he could easily influence men who did not have the Spirit of God to go against experience and their better judgement for the sake of money. It was not in their heart to heed the warning of a man of God. They chose to press on regardless, playing right into the hands of an unseen enemy.

But not only did the enemy have an agenda. God had one too. He had safely navigated Paul through the stormy seas of Jewish hatred, murderous plots, unjust trials, and vacillating Roman indecision. This was His opportunity to reveal His goodness to godless sailors and even to a heathen island tribe in spite of adverse weather and foolish decisions.

Does this not give us hope for ourselves as well? Through and because of these experiences Paul was able to write, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

In The Eye Of The Storm

Christian Life, , ,

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

“Some of the Jews convinced the most respected women and leading men of the town that their precious way of life was about to be destroyed. Alarmed, they turned on Paul and Barnabas and forced them to leave. Paul and Barnabas shrugged their shoulders and went on to the next town, Iconium, brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples.” Acts 13:50-52 (The Message).

Well, now that’s a strange way to react to bad treatment! Why didn’t they fight back to protect their fledgling disciples? These young believers needed much more teaching before they could leave them on their own, yet they had to get out and leave them.

They didn’t have much option, really, if they wanted to stay alive. Their Jewish opponents were ferocious enough to do them in if they resisted. It would seem that law and order was not very well maintained if a mob was allowed to take action against individuals without repercussions.

The attitude of the two missionaries is also astonishing. At this point in their missionary enterprise they didn’t seem to turn a hair at the treatment they were receiving from their fellow Jews. Surprisingly enough it was their own people who harassed and hounded them from city to city, not the pagan Gentiles from whom one would have expected the most resistance.

Instead of being angry and upset at the treatment they had received, they simply moved on to the next city and carried on their work as though nothing had happened. Were they becoming bitter and hardened inside? Not at all! Luke specifically informs his reader that they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

There is a place in God that allows one to bypass the emotional upheavals that accompany life’s reverses and remain at peace in the middle of them. Like the chicks that are safe and dry under the mother hen’s wings in the storm, these two men knew where to go and what to do when adversity hit them and they found themselves in a hostile environment.

The prophet Isaiah, living in turbulent times with Assyria, a powerful enemy empire from the north bent on world domination, harassing Israel, knew the secret of perfect peace. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV).

Paul’s experiences on his journey through life taught him the same great lesson. How could he write words like “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition? with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), had he not been permitted to go through the things that shaped his confidence in God?

Wherever you are on your journey right now, what is it in your life that is giving you the opportunity to find that resting place in the eye of the storm? You can so easily miss the grace of God and throw away the opportunity to learn to trust, if you are too busy fretting and bucking at your circumstances. God intends for you, in whatever comes your way, to find His peace that covers you in a blanker of protection and confidence in the midst of it so that no storm can ever bother you again.

Like Paul and Barnabas, you can walk away from conflict, opposition, adversity and even rejection with your heart filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit because of your trust in God’s unfailing love.