Acts 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
One of the passages in my Bible reading for today is Acts 27:1-20. It is interesting that in this particular passage, nothing is said bout God, or the Lord Jesus Christ, or even the gospel. There is much about weather conditions, geographical locations, and sailing plans. There is also a warning from Paul, that was not heeded.
The passage ends in a most solemn way. No sun, no stars, and much wind, but no hope. Stuck in the middle of the sea, with a ship that is threatening to break up, and no where to go, nothing that can be done. And the situation just drags on and on, day after day.
Sometimes that is the way our lives are. We go through seasons of great fear, insecurity, and no Sun, and it seems like there isn't even a God. He is silent and just lets us go day after day in what appears to be a hopeless situation. But I am glad that this isn't the end of the story.
Finally after many days, God appeared to Paul and spoke to him:
“and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”” (Acts 27:24-26 ESV)
They had to follow the instructions that God gave them through Paul, but in the end, when they did they were saved.
We need to remember this, so that when we are in one of those times, we will wait with hope to hear from God, and trust what He says and do it.
"Lord, help me to wait on you, and trust you in the hard, difficult, and dark times, knowing that your purpose for my life will be fulfilled. Help me to be willing to do what you say, when at last you do speak"
3 comments:
GOOD!
Hi Pal,
I do hope this is ok to post to your blog. It is something that I was considering when I read One of your previous entries.
I am sure most, if not everyone. has seen the Movie “The Bridge over the River Kwai”. To give a little set to the thought, the movie involves British POW’s having to build a bridge over a river for the Enemy forces during WW11. Much goes on in a struggle between the British commander and the commander of the Camp but the struggle reaches some compromise and the bridge gets built. In the end the two are walking, side by side, over the bridge admiring the sturdiness and the fine combination of British and Japanese angering. Admiring more as comrades than as enemies. Suddenly the British commander only notices the wiring of explosives that have been set by allied forces which are intended to destroy the bridge. Notices it because the tide had dropped and exposed the once hidden wires and munitions. All distraught he runs to cut the wires to save the bridge. One of the allied soldiers who was on the plunger to detonate the explosives attempted to stop him thinking the British commander having gone mad or turned traitor. He knifes the British commander to stop him but is killed himself in the attempt. At that time the commander next to death stops and says, “OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE!”. Then falls on the plunger destroying the bridge.
What is the lesson here? He had lost sight of the War!
Take a look around. Is it possible that through compromise and the desire or even the desire to build some thing sturdy and glorious that Christians have lost sight of the War? Instead of fighting the enemy, are waking hand in hand side by side admiring the handy work of compromise or desire not realizing they have lost sight of the War. One might ask, what war? The war for Souls. Perhaps the only thing worth fighting for. Buildings of mortar and stone will all lay with not one brick on another. “How too books” , programs, assemblies, bodies, history, conferences, accomplishment through compromise etc., etc. will all lay in waste. The only things which matter are the things which are eternal. Among men it seems to have become true and even among Christians, perhaps, more than any is the ideology that existence precedes essence. In other words, Who you are and the showing your make determines what you are. In doing so it does seem that sturdy bridges are being built by many. Sturdy and with seemingly sound foundations not realizing these are only earthly edifices, both structural and ideological, with no eternal foundations.
What am I trying to say? We have lost sight of the war.
The haunt in all of this is simple words in exclamation from the commander.
“OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE!”.
Have We Have Lost Sight Of The War. Lost sight , not even realizing that the enemy is happy with the compromise, happy with the structures, happy to walk side by side across the well built bridge to hell.
David
David,
Great insight brother!. What an illustration to show that we have lost sight.
That which is at stake is more fundamental than even souls though...the Glory of God.
Satan hates the image and the Glory of God, and he is doing everything that he can to keep men from seeing God for who He really is. Souls are certainly a part of that, maybe the biggest part.
May the Lord help us to see the ware that we are in, and what is at stake, and as a result cause us to be sober and vigilant
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