God Speaks
Scripture: Acts 27:13-26
21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island.” (Acts 27:21-26 NLT)
As soon as a light south wind began to blow, the ship’s crew decided to make a run for it. They began sailing along the shore toward Phoenix, but the weather changed abruptly and a typhoon hit the ship. The sailors banded the ship with ropes, threw the cargo overboard, and put out a sea anchor. After they had tried everything they knew there was no choice but to let the ship run before the storm. “The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and stars, until at last all hope was gone!”
Finally Paul called them all together and told them God had spoken to him in the night and assured him that he would make it to Rome to preach to Caesar. And that even though the ship would wreck and sink (Insert “I told you so!” here!), everyone aboard would be spared. On a small wooden ship in a great big sea, in a seemingly never-ending storm, God spoke to Paul a message of hope—hope for himself and for those with him. The message here is that God can and will speak to us in the most difficult of times and situations!
In life’s most severe storms, it can be very hard to hear above the screaming voices, especially if one of the screaming voices is my own! But if I have a listening heart, God will stand at my side on the deck of a storm-tossed ship and speak the words that I, and those around me, need to hear.
Be assured, my dear friends, that God’s angel stands at your side in the storm. Listen in sanctuary silence or storm’s tumult for his word that gives faith for the journey. God will speak to your listening, trusting heart!
Prayer:
Father, Please speak to me in the sanctuary and the storm. Help me to enter the place of worship expectantly, with a listening heart. But also please help me to stand in the storm faithfully, with a listening heart. Help me to hear your voice for me and for those who are counting on me. Amen.