May the mumbling commence!
It is far better to trust in God’s direction than to trust in our own ability to read the signs – even when we are an “expert” in the field. This conflict in trust was evident with Paul and the centurion who was seeing that Paul was safely transported to Rome in Acts chapter twenty-seven. Read a passage from that chapter below:
Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Verses 9-25)
When Paul spoke his mind to the centurion and the captain and crew of the ship, Paul was not merely speaking his mind. As a servant of God, Paul was speaking as God called him to speak. Paul’s faith and trust was put solely upon the Lord. Paul warned them not to take to the sea.
But the centurion relied upon the expert – the captain of the ship. The harbor was not a good one to winter in, so the captain was looking for the right conditions to sail. When the south wind began to blow, the captain had what he was waiting for. So they left…
They left only to be blindsided by the northeaster – a wind of hurricane force. And the boat, its passengers, and its cargo were in great peril. They used ropes to try and secure the hull of the ship. Then they threw overboard their cargo. They were sustaining financial loss in hopes that their lives would be saved.
In a moment of desperation, the crew threw overboard some of their tackle. They were trying to lighten the boat to keep it from capsizing. All of the signs that the sailors used to guide the boat by were hidden in the storm. They were without direction and hope.
Paul provided for them direction once again. The God, who he served, had warned them. Now, God would save their lives at the cost of the ship. Too often we follow our own inclinations. Too often we find ourselves without direction or hope. Too often it seems that we lose everything.
Yet God provides for our lives in hopes that we will finally see the greatest way of directing our lives – through love and obedience to the Lord.
Let us take our courage from the Lord.
Let us keep faith only in the guidance of the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment