Acts 27:23 “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,”
Do you remember the story of the sixteen-year-old girl who was marooned in the middle of the Indian Ocean? As she attempted to navigate the world and break a record, the mast on her boat broke, leaving her sailboat disabled. A broken mast and sail is bad news when you need both to navigate! Sailing is all about whether you are harnessing the wind or it is harnessing you.
The sailing adventures in Acts 27 seem to be a metaphor for Paul’s life. He was tossed to and fro, and his travels were a constant struggle against a mighty storm (verses 4-15). Has your life ever felt the same way? Have the trials and problems of life seemed like a strong headwind, constantly working against you? The lesson we can learn from Acts 27 is this: the safest ship in the sea is the one that God puts you in.
It is important to remember God’s “owner-“ship when you are facing the storms of life.
That is exactly what Paul acknowledged in verse 23! He had been from judgment to judgment, and to top it all off, he found himself on a ship in the middle of a terrible storm! However, Paul recognized God’s ownership (“whose I am”), and that made all the difference. There was no safer place to be than the place God put him.
When your life hits contrary winds and rough waves, it will be easy to think that if you were somewhere else, doing something else, all would be well. But do not discount the plan of the Master of the wind! I do not know what lies ahead for you on the seas of life, but I do know that the safest ship in the sea is the one that God puts you in. The safest course of action may not be the escape plan you are plotting! Trust the Master and know that the safest place is in His “owner” ship.
Prayer Requests:
1. Service tonight in Geneva, IL and Medina, OH
2. West Branch on the Move Deaf Rally in Long Beach, CA this weekend (10.9)
3. Recruiting of college summer staff today and tomorrow