Acts 27:14-44
Storms
Everyone has challenges, trials and pressure in life. Everyone faces storms.
- We can cause challenges to come in our life like Jonah did. God gave him simple instructions and he did not want to follow them.
- God may allow a trial to come our way to strengthen our faith. (Matthew 14:22-24)
- Others in our life may cause pressure, like Paul who was a leader to many churches. Christians looked to him for help and guidance with their problems.
No one lives a trouble free life. We all have to deal with struggles and conflicts. The truth is…. we all must choose how we are going to handle the storms that come our way.
Sinking
In the middle of a storm we may find ourselves sinking and feeling like we are about to drown. The feeling of hopelessness and no way out is real. When we see the chaos around us we often make these choices and get ourselves in a heap of trouble.
- Make things worse. When the winds started blowing hard in Acts 27:15 the sailors lost control and didn’t know what to do. They decided to just “let her drive” because they could not control the ship any longer. We may give up and sit back to just watch the damage start.
- Decide to just do something ourselves. The sailors tried to lighten the ship in hopes of being able to control the ship Acts 27:18. We try to fix our storms by just doing something. We may turn to friends and talk about it, read books about it, pull up information on the computer or make a hasty decision only to later regret it.
- Jump Ship. This has become the choice of many people. They turn to alcohol, divorce, suicide, drugs, food or they just shake their fist at God and quit.
“One of the greatest marks of your faith and your confidence in God is your endurance, perseverance and constancy when trouble comes.”- Adrian Rodgers
Drop Anchor
The purpose of an anchor is to keep the ship secure and prevent it from drifting while riding out a storm. First thing we need to do when we face a storm is to drop our anchor so we have some stability.
- Focus on your purpose more than the problem. Do you have a vision or mission for your life? You can realize your mission in life by connecting your abilities, talent and interests with ways to point others to Christ and glorify God. How can you use this storm to further your mission in life?
- Take care of yourself physically. Make sure you are eating healthy foods, go outside and soak in some sunshine, exercise and get enough sleep. In Acts 27:34 Paul told the men to eat so they would be strong and feel better.
- Stay in the Ship. God has a plan that won’t be changed by this storm. If you jump ship you will miss a great opportunity to grow. God will see you through this storm, Hebrews 13:5.
Hope expects and faith believes. Cling to hope and faith with all your might and drop your Anchor!
Throw Out the Life Line
The second thing we need to do in a storm is help others. If you look around, you will see you are not the only in a rough spot, and someone else may even be worse off than you. I remember the song “Throw out the Lifeline” we sang at our church when I was a child. You can read the lyrics to the entire song at http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Throw_Out_the_Lifeline/
Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline!
Someone is drifting away;
Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline!
Someone is sinking today.
- Look for “anchor-less” drifters. Is there someone you can influence? Is there someone who needs to know that Jesus is the anchor they need? Help them with action along with words of advice. You may have gone through the storm they are currently in. You could be the one to give them the life line of encouragement and direction.
- Acts 27:44 “Some on pieces and some on boards”. You may feel like you can’t help someone else, but if you have arrived to shore on maybe just “boards and pieces” you have made it safely through the storm. Your influence on others can help them determine their purpose in life and even keep them safe through their storm.
We are changed by storms in our life. We are not promised smooth sailing all the time, but we are promised a safe landing with Jesus as our anchor. “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast…” Hebrews 6:19
Tune My Heart 