In the Midst of the Storm

We are prone to think that sailing through life with God at the helm of our ship glides us through smooth and peaceful waters.  However, any cursory reading of the bible reveals a completely different picture. Biblical characters frequently go through significantly difficult times in their lives as they pursue God’s plan while doing their best to submit to his will.  Just read Hebrews 11:35b-39 to see how difficult it can be for those who faithfully sail with God. 

God has not promised us health, or wealth, or ease, or smooth sailing. He graciously grants those things to many of us, but he does so according to his own plans, and not according to anything that we offer.  What God promises his people over and over again is that he will never leave us or forsake us (Genesis 28:15, Deuteronomy 31:6, Deuteronomy 31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). That promise implies that we will find ourselves in battles, and in fiery furnaces, and in lion's dens, and in Roman arenas, and in famines, and in difficult times, in stormy seas, and even martyrdom. We can be assured that his presence is always with us, that he has our good in mind, and that we can have peace in the midst of our storms because we know that he loves us and that he is in control of the storms and their ultimate outcomes.

Paul models this level of faith for us in the final chapters of Acts. As a prisoner, he is set sail for Rome, but his ship encounters a terrible storm that is bound to wreck it. An angel of God appears to him and tells him that no one will die, but that the ship will be lost as it runs aground on an island (Acts 27:21-26). Paul is being spared because God has a plan for him to stand before Caesar in Rome.  God will stay with Paul all through the storm and preserve him for a greater plan.  Not only that, but God also gives to Paul the lives of all the men on that ship. Perhaps this even means that Paul is instrumental in the eternal salvation of the lives of those men on that ship.  Regardless, the presence of God with Paul was beneficial to the people around him even if they didn’t ultimately choose the God who saved them from the waters. 

Paul’s faith in the word of his God gave him peace in a terrible storm. He knew that God would be with him, and that he would fulfill his promises to spare those men and bring him before Caesar.  If you are a follower of Christ, you can have that same peace and calm, even if you are facing death. Know that God is invisibly with you now and that he will not forsake you.  Know that at the end of all things, you will be in the presence of Christ, not invisibly, but face to face. Do not fear the storms that you are certain to see because God will never leave you or forsake you in them if you are one of his children.