November 1, 2012 - Acts 27:22

            It is amazing to me that the very next scripture in my writings from Acts was this verse!

            “’But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.’”  Acts 27:22.

            On his journey to Rome as a prisoner to be tried before Caesar’s court, Paul received a word of encouragement from the Lord.  The ship that he was a passenger on had been in a hurricane-like storm for days and was near sinking.  All hope of survival was lost when Paul heard from the Lord.  He spoke this word to the crew and other passengers, telling them to be courageous, as no lives would be lost.  Only the ship would not survive, but everyone on board would live.  I get a sense of gratefulness in Paul’s words to the crew and other passengers.  Everyone on board the ship would come out alive, and for that, they were grateful and their minds were more at ease.

            The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US was just hammered by the confluence of a nor’easter, a winter cold front, and Hurricane Sandy, leaving billions of dollars in damage in her wake.  It has been storming now for days, and I need to remember this encouragement from Paul.  No electricity, no heat, limited food – all conveniences that we are doing without, yet we are safe.  We did hear, however, that several people were killed as a result of the storm.  When these conditions last for days, it can be very discouraging and depressing.  To combat this, I try to stay busy, cut the downed tree in my yard (Thank you, Lou!), exercise when I can, and spend time reading and praying.  But this takes work, especially the tree cutting.  In order to keep up my courage, I try to stay focused and have a grateful heart.  For me, it helps to be grateful in times like this, as it gets my focus off of the storms and onto the Father.  I have so much to be grateful for!  All of us do!

            Questions to consider: Were you impacted by Hurricane Sandy?  If so, what was that like for you?  What do you focus on when storms come into your life?  What are you grateful for?  Take a few moments to develop a list.

            Prayer: Father, help me to always have You at the top of my list of things I am grateful for.  Thank You for always being with me during all the storms I go through.  Amen.

October 25, 2012 - Acts 27:20

            “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”  Acts 27:20.

            As a prisoner on board a ship heading for Rome, Paul, along with the crew and other passengers, was caught in a horrific storm and they were cast helplessly about for several days.  Even the most experienced crew was clueless as to what to do to help them escape the violence of the storm.  After several days, everyone on board the small vessel gave up all hope of surviving.  They were without any food or water, and the small ship was falling apart.  The situation looked absolutely extremely bleak.  But what got them through?

            When I was 11 years old, I went out on a small boat in the Chesapeake Bay with a couple of friends and their father.  We had a great time together out on the water, but a storm blew up very quickly and caught us by surprise.  The small craft was not built to survive being caught in a violent storm out in the open water.  My friends and I were very upset and feeling hopeless about making it to shore.  I thought that we were all done for! 

            In my spiritual journey, I have had times when it seemed so dark, with the storms of life violently blowing in my soul.  I felt alone and without hope.  It was during those times that I began to experience the Anchor of my soul.  It wasn’t just something that I read about.  It started to become more of a reality.  The Father was there with me, bringing me peace right in the middle of the storm. 

            Questions to consider: Have you ever been without hope or have felt like you were losing all hope?  What is it like to be in the storms in your life?  Has God met you in your storms?  How did you get through those times?

            Prayer: Father, I seem to grow closer to You having gone through the storms of life and knowing that You are right there with me.  Thank You for being there and for guiding me safely through.  Amen.

October 18, 2012 - Acts 27:12a

            “Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there.”  Acts 27:12a.

            Paul had received a warning from God concerning his journey by ship to Rome.  While at Fair Havens on the Southern coast of Crete, Paul warned the centurion and the ship’s captain of impending peril, if they tried to travel before winter.  The two men decided to listen to the majority and not to Paul, and they pushed forward along the coast of Crete, heading toward Phoenix.  Instead of discerning God’s voice, spoken through Paul, it was decided to do what they thought was right.  Paul could only serve those in authority by giving them the warning, but it was the two men in authority that made the ultimate decision to press forward.

            The challenge for me is discerning God’s will and then handling the consequences, positive or negative, that ensue from the decision that has been made.  Paul discerned God’s warning, but the centurion and ship’s captain ignored this message and chose to take the risk of facing disaster.  It seems to me that there are at least two issues here: 1) discerning God’s will, and 2) obeying and following through with that discernment.  Of the two issues, I struggle more with obedience.  This usually happens when I question whether or not I really heard from God.  As a result, I suffered through the consequences.  Paul, along with everyone else on board, suffered through the consequences, yet God was with them in the horrible storm and guided them to safety.

            Questions to consider: How do you discern God’s will?  How is that working for you? Whether or not you followed through, have you experienced consequences as a result of those messages from God?  What are you learning in the process?

            Prayer: Father, thank You for being with me no matter the results of my discernment process.  Thank You for guiding me through this ongoing process.  Amen.

October 11, 2012 - Acts 27:10

            “’Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.’”  Acts 27:10.

            Being just a prisoner, I wouldn’t expect anyone to listen to him, but Paul was comfortable with who he was and Whose he was.  On his way by ship to Rome from Caesarea, Paul received a vision that they would encounter terrible trouble that could possibly cost them their lives, as well as the ship and her cargo.  Paul told all who were on board this vision, speaking up with what he believed was a caution from God.  Paul didn’t have any problem speaking up with what he thought needed to be said.  Even though Paul was a prisoner, he was not a prisoner in his mind and heart.

            While I’ve never been a prisoner held in jail, I know what it is like to be a prisoner in my own mind and heart.  There have been insecurities, fears, and other thoughts that have served to imprison me from moving forward in what God would have me do.  This is much less of a problem today, but it is still something that I wrestle with.  Paul was totally secure in whom he was (or Paul was totally secure in his position) in Christ.  His identity had nothing to do with what he thought others thought of him or even what he thought of himself.  He was totally focused on what God, the Father – Paul’s Father – thought of him.  Out of this security, knowing that he was a beloved son of God, Paul spoke out courageously.  This is my desire, as well.  How about you?

            Questions to consider: Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you sensed that you should speak out courageously?  How did you do?  Do you act as a prisoner captured within your own soul, or do you act out of who you are (or your position) as God’s beloved child?

            Prayer: Father, help me to remember who I am in You; that I am Your beloved child.  It is my desire to speak, and live out my life courageously, as Your child.  Amen.

October 4, 2012 - Acts 27:3

            “The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.”  Acts 27:3.

            Paul, along with several other prisoners, was placed under the watchful eyes of Julius, a centurion from the Imperial Regiment.  They left by ship from the port at Caesarea and landed the next day up the coast at Sidon, in Phoenicia.  During the days leading up to their departure and on this first leg of the journey, Julius must have recognized something very different about Paul, as he chose to show Paul kindness by allowing some of the fellow followers of Jesus in the Sidon area to come and take care of Paul’s needs.

            Do people around you see anything different about you?  Sometimes I think that I just blend into the world around me.  It doesn’t mean that I compromise my faith when I am around others; it just means that I look very similar to those around me.  What causes me concern is when I see my actions start to slip and I start doing things and acting in a way that I know I shouldn’t.  Paul evidently conducted himself in a manner that communicated to Julius that he could be trusted.  I wonder if I communicate the same trustworthiness.  It is my desire to lead a life that is worthy of being trusted.  I want to live this way not so that I will be shown kindness, as Julius showed Paul, but because of my commitment to follow Jesus and my desire to glorify God with my life.

            Questions to consider: Do the people around you see trustworthiness in you as you go about your normal day?  Have you ever received a compliment from anyone around you concerning your reliability or trustworthiness?  Do you live a trustworthy life, or do you let things slip, especially when you think no one is looking?

            Prayer: Father, please continue to work your character in me and help me to be a man that can be trusted.  Help my words and actions to be reliable.  Help me to be more like Jesus.  Amen.