June 21, 2021
Acts 27:10-21 (TPT)
10 “Men, I can see that our voyage would be disastrous for us and bring great loss, not only to our ship and cargo but also to our own lives. We should remain here.” [prophetic revelation]
11 But the officer in charge was persuaded more by the ship’s helmsman and captain [ship owner] than he was by Paul. 12 So the majority decided to put out to sea, since Fair Haven was an exposed harbor and not suitable to winter in. They had hoped to somehow reach the Cretan port of Phoenix, which was a more suitable port because it was facing south.
13 When a gentle south breeze began to blow, they assumed they could make it, so they pulled up anchor and sailed close to Crete. 14 But it wasn’t long before the weather abruptly worsened and a storm of hurricane force called the Nor’easter [typhoon] tore across the island and blew us out to sea. 15 The sailors weren’t able to turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it be driven by the gale winds [surrendered to its power].
16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were barely able to get the ship’s lifeboat under control, 17 so the crew hoisted the dinghy aboard. The sailors used ropes and cables to undergird the ship, fearing they would run aground on the shoals of Syrtis [Lybia/Benghazi]. They lowered the drag anchor to slow its speed and let the ship be driven along.
18 The next day, because of being battered severely by the storm, the sailors jettisoned the cargo, 19 and by the third day they even threw the ship’s tackle and rigging overboard. 20 After many days of seeing neither the sun nor the stars, and with the violent storm continuing to rage against us, all hope of ever getting through it alive was abandoned.
21 After being without food for a long time, Paul stepped before them all and said, “Men, you should have obeyed me and avoided all of this pain and suffering by not leaving Crete.
In our passage today, the disobedience of the men in charge of the ship actually lead the ship and its occupants into danger. The Apostle Paul is given a prophetic message before they ever leave the harbor, “We should remain here,” but in rejecting the authority of God through Paul, everyone has to endure a terrible and frightening encounter with a typhoon-like storm.
Life is going to bring spiritual storms to our souls; some times we provoke these storms through our disobedience and some times we simply have to endure the storms provoked by evil. Either way, we must pray and set our lives before the Lord; prayer positions us in the Father’s care. God has promised his children the necessary grace to bring us his presence, provision, and protection in spite of the storms. Our greatest responsibility is to obey the Word of God, so we avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. When we are aligned in oneness with God’s love, by faith we can rebuke the storm and demand it “submit to the will of God” (Mark 4:39).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the lessons you have been teaching on how to properly endure the storms provoked by sin. It is always a battle against your authority, but if I will position myself with you and rest in your protective care, I will see your salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.