In the Bible, we see that there are three kinds of storms that we face in life:
- Storms that we bring on ourselves, like Samson and his self-induced troubles.
- Storms that God causes, like the storm that Jesus stilled on the Sea of Galilee.
- Storms that other people cause, as when Paul and Silas were thrown into prison.
When you are the innocent party in a crisis, this last kind of storm is hard to take. So, how do we stay calm and maintain our confidence and courage regardless of what happens?
God placed Paul, as a prisoner, on board a ship that was headed to Rome. After the ship ventured through the Mediterranean Sea and docked on the island of Crete, God told Paul to advise the crew not to leave the harbor because there was going to be a great storm. But the sailors wanted to get to a better harbor, so they ignored what God told them through Paul.
In Acts 27:9-12, we read, “We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it. “Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul. And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.”
Paul had warned the crew and officers, but they were impatient. Do you ever find yourself being impatient about something and ignoring the warnings and wisdom that God gives us in His word?
· Perhaps you are impatient to get a new job.
· Or, maybe you are impatient and want a nice home.
· Maybe you are impatient and want a newer model car.
· Perhaps you don’t like your neighborhood, and you are impatient and want to move to a better neighborhood.
· Maybe you are impatient to get married and jump at the first person who shows an interest in you.
The people in charge of the ship that Paul was on were impatient and sailed right into the storm anyway.
There are several other reasons why we find ourselves in a crisis.
1. We get poor advice from so-called experts. Just because someone is successful doesn’t mean their advice is always good. The world is full of people with crazy ideas.
I have low kidney function, so I have to check many things on the market to see if they will impact my kidneys, and many of them would. So, I need to be careful not to follow slick advertising. There are all kinds of counselors, but they don’t always give the best advice. Counseling has always been a big part of my ministry, and I have found that sharing the wisdom from God’s word is the safest way to guide people. They don’t always agree with me.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, we read, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you the path to take.”
Folks, that is good advice. When your will does not line up with God’s word, go with God’s word.
2. Let’s take a vote and rely on the majority. The problem here is that the majority isn’t always right. The children of Israel had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. They were oppressed terribly, and they cried out to God, and He heard them. In Exodus 2:23-24, we read, “Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose to God. God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He developed a plan whereby the Egyptians were willing to let the Israelites go.”
In Exodus 14:5-14, we read how, after the Israelites had left Egypt, Pharaoh realized it was a terrible mistake to let all the slave labor go, so he and his troops went out to bring them back. When the Israelites saw them coming, we read in verses 10-12, “As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!”
The crowd isn’t always right. Despite their whining, God led them through the Red Sea on dry ground. When the Egyptians followed, God released the walls of water, and the Egyptians perished. God’s wisdom was reliable.
3. We get into trouble when we let our circumstances guide us and we don’t listen to God.
Coming back to Paul and his voyage, the crew and the officers thought a cruise up the nice, gentle Mediterranean would be nice. But they were wrong, and what Paul had shared with them was right.
Have you ever relied on your feelings to make a decision? “It just feels right” or “It feels so good, it can’t be wrong.” Often our feelings are fleshy and not dependable.
In Jeremiah 7, we read how the LORD told Jeremiah to go to the entrance of the temple and deliver a message from God. In verses 8-12, we read, “Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again? Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely, I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken. “Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites.”
There are several things in Acts 27 that the sailors and officers did that we must not do when we face a crisis.
1. First, they dropped the anchor and allowed themselves to be driven along. Verse 17. It is so easy to forget our values and start drifting.
2. In Acts 27:18-19, we read how the crew began to throw the cargo overboard and the ship’s tackle. In verse 38, we read, “After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.” I believe that was at least part of their food. At the end of the chapter, we are told that the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners. In verses 43-44, we read that the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn’t let them carry out their plans. Then, he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land. The others held on to planks or debris from the broken ship. So, everyone escaped safely to shore.
Many times, when we face a crisis, we are tempted to discard the very things that are important to us; the values that we have hung onto in better times.
3. Another thing I see in this account is that the sailors did give up hope. They gave in to despair. In verse 20, we read, “We finally gave up all hope of being saved.” Earlier, I mentioned how the Israelites reacted when they saw the Egyptians coming after them — they panicked. In verses 13-14, we read, “But Moses told the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
What a great word from God through Moses. Don’t give up on hope. God hears your cry. He understands your heart, and He sees your circumstances. On his own schedule, He will be there for you.
In Psalm 125:1, we read, “Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.”
1. Paul counted on God’s presence. Acts 27:23-24.
2. Paul depended on God’s purpose. Acts 27:24, God always has a reason for allowing storms in our lives. In Philippians 4:13, Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We can too.
3. Paul believed God’s promises. In Acts 27:25, he told the people, “Keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.”
The Bible says that God cannot lie. He is truth. We can believe and embrace His promises.
I hope and pray that this study will be helpful to you when you face a crisis.
God bless you, Pastor Leonard
A Note from Pastor Leonard …
We will be holding a New Membership Class on October 5th, at 12:45 PM, after the 2nd service. If you are considering membership, this is the time and place to learn about what it means to be a member of the Ventura Jubilee Fellowship family! You can decide if this is for you. I encourage you to come and listen. Oh, did I mention … lunch will be served. Membership Applications are available at the Welcome Center.
