The Apostle Paul had found himself in the midst of a powerful storm, together with others who were traveling with him. And they had not eaten anything for two weeks in the midst of the total darkness that surrounded them.
There was so much uncertainty about what would happen next among the sailors and the captain of the ship. But meanwhile in the midst of their uncertainties, Paul had received an information through the angel of the Lord about what was ahead of them.
The Bible says:
“And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and eaten nothing. Therefore, I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.”
Acts 27:33-34 NKJV
Paul reassured them not to panic about the upcoming situation with the storm. The “euroclydon” storm is known to be one of the deadliest storms of the Mediterranean Sea, even up till this day. The crew on the ship with Paul knew this. They were all experienced sailors who had found themselves in this very dangerous situation.
Two weeks had lapsed without any light, but total darkness for them all. Yet in the midst of the thick darkness that surrounded them, Paul had received the word of the Lord through an angel, which turned on the light of God against the darkness that had surrounded them. He had reassured them that no life would be lost.
The storm of life comes to every one of us on the earth. It comes to the unbelievers and the believers in Christ Jesus alike. And just as it had happened on this ship eating food may become a nonessential while the storm rages, because in the midst of a storm every second or minute matters. It could had been freedom or more trouble for them. They could not afford to eat.
The task of getting out of the storm can become so enormous, to the extent that the deprivation of sleep may also cause other problems, that are associated with depression and anxiety.
The storms of life can cause peoples’ thoughts to constantly travel in the middle of the night. The enemy uses life’s storm to push people off the edge, so as to do the things that they won’t normally do.
This was what Paul saw the people with him on the journey doing, as they were struggling to get out of the storm. He however had calmed down their anxiety with a word from the Lord, by telling them that things would just be okay.
Are you in the midst of a spiritual, physical, emotional or financial storm right now? These same words of Paul from the angel of the Lord can give you comfort, as you are trying to handle and confront it. He is saying to you right now: “take it easy, you are going to be just fine.”
The Apostle Paul had faced many troubles in his life. So, by the time when this storm showed up on the sea, he just calmly responded to it, as he had always been doing before.
The unusual thing in this particular situation was that this storm had lasted for up to two weeks.
It’s how you’re trying to handle the storm of your life, while it’s still ongoing that really matters. It matters because your attitude towards it will eventually determine, how you will come out of it. The storms of life will always come; but how you are dealing with them can negatively turn your life around, especially if you are not taking care of it with the help of the Lord.
That was why Jesus Himself forewarned us about tribulations (storms) when He said:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NKJV
The peace of God is always there to guide our hearts when we are focused on Jesus in the storm. Peace in the midst of the storm can help you to be focused on the victory, that had been given to you in the name of Jesus. You can stand aloof on your strong tower of faith in the name of Jesus, while it’s still going on.
For:
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong.”
Proverbs 18:10 AMPC
When we are focused on the name of Jesus in the midst of any storm of life, the peace of God will come to help us, by causing us to remain steady while navigating the pathway through it. His peace gives the assurance that nothing else can give in the storm (John 14:27).
Paul was in the middle of a storm, but while the captain of the ship with the other sailors were worried and agitated, he was there with them on the ship taking some rest on the promises of the Lord, which he had received before the journey itself began.
The Lord had told Paul that he was going to appear before Caesar in Rome. This was what Paul was fully confident and assured of. Whatever was going to happen on the sea, Paul was reassured that God would get him to Rome at all costs.
The storm was just a tactic of the enemy to delay what would eventually happen to him. Paul knew that the Lord would eventually bring to come to pass what had been promised him.
Any delay in your life does not necessarily means a denial of God’s promises to you. God will do exactly as He had said in His word for you.
Were you waiting on a promise from the Lord to you before the trouble of your life started? A delay which is caused by the trouble does not necessarily means a denial of God’s promise.
Just keep up with the confession of your faith on the promise of God. Don’t let the enemy push you to the point where you will forget about it. No matter how long it may take, God’s promise to you will surely come to pass.
The enemy can’t stop it from coming to pass, except you. If you stop professing what you do believe in your heart, you will definitely prevent yourself from inheriting that promise.
For Paul it was in the midst of a peaceful rest on the promise of God, that an angel of the Lord brought him another word to reassure him, not to be concerned about what was happening on the ship with the storm.
Everything that would eventually happen had been revealed to him in the vision of the angel. Paul was then able to tell others on the ship with him, exactly what would happen at the end of the storm; just as the angel had informed him.
And no matter how long your storm had been in life, it’s definitely going to come to an end one day, because every problem in life does has an expiration date.
Forget the past and keep moving forward!
There is always a moment of peace and calm after every storm of life, when you will have to take an estimate of your losses, so as to plan ahead for the future. It’s an opportunity to improve on the past mistakes, in order to build a new foundation and plan ahead for the future.
Paul saw his future after the storm right in the middle of it. He saw himself appearing before Caesar. The storm that was going on never bothered him at all. He was looking beyond it by seeing himself in Rome.
What are you seeing now in the midst of your troubles? Are you seeing yourself stronger and smarter as you rebuild, to correct the mistakes that were made in the midst of it? Or are you allowing the enemy to lie to you that you are going down with it?
Paul encouraged his fellow travelers here to put their various disagreements behind them, in the midst of the storm. It was now time for them to prepare for what was about to imminently take place. And the man with the word of the Lord (Paul) knew what was going to happen next.
He encouraged them to take some food so as to replenish their strength for the difficult journey ahead. He knew that they were going to be on an island (Malta) for a while.
So, Paul urged the men with him on the journey to be spiritually and physically prepared for what was ahead of them. They needed nourishment to be able to survive whatever the enemy was preparing ahead of them.
Are you spiritually and physically preparing yourself for the future, when those problems will finally become part of history to you? You don’t need to wait until that time comes before preparing yourself for it. You ought to begin now.
There are people who do like to run around a lot during their troubling times. They are more concerned about other things going on around them regarding the storm.
And unfortunately, they are not taking care of their own personal time with the Lord. They are sapping themselves out of spiritual and physical strength, so as to take care of other unnecessary things.
Instead of taking some time out to be resting in the Lord, so as to refresh and replenish their strength for the future, they are more concerned about things that don’t really matter.
There is no need to wear yourself out while serving the Lord. The Lord wants you to be well rested, so as to be able to hear from Him clearly. The Lord will never put any unnecessary pressure on you.
It’s the enemy who wants you to be focused on the things, that has nothing to do with your destiny in Christ Jesus.
Start putting those things in your past behind you, so as to be able to move into your future. The enemy has a strategy to make you miss out of the goodness of the Lord. Be very watchful and careful of his tactics.
Let Jesus carry the burden!
Some people do like to be putting too much on themselves, which the Lord never expected them to put on themselves during their troubles in life.
Jesus alone is the burden carrier for everyone. He never expects you to be carrying anyone’s else burden on yourself. Neither does He expect you to be carrying yours as well. He can handle all of the storms for every human being on the earth at the same time.
He is the one who had said:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
Jesus is offering you some rest away from your troubling storm right now. Yes, it may even be a storm that has lasted longer than the one, which Paul had faced on the sea. But it’s still a storm, and you have to face it in the same manner that Paul had tackled his own storm on the sea.
You need to be resting on the promises of the Lord to you, so as to be able to learn about the things that are important. And until you get into that rest in Christ Jesus, you can’t really learn any lesson from Him, while the storm rages on.
The Lord wants you to take things easy. And the truth is that everything is really easy, if Jesus is truly carrying your burden in life for you.
You don’t need to be worried about what others around you are concerned about. Just be like Paul in the middle of the storm. Keep your eyes on Jesus alone, and don’t let the people around you get you distracted from focusing on Him alone.
You need all your attention to be on Jesus, the burden Carrier alone. He is the only one who can show you the way out of it. Open your heart wide to start learning your spiritual lessons from His presence.
If you are going to be learning your lessons from Jesus, then your focus has to be on Him alone. Shut down the noise from the world around you and keep your eyes on Him alone.
As the Bible says:
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV
It’s time to put everything that are preventing you from considering Jesus away. They are the hindrances to your faith in God.
Don’t miss your church services while you are tackling a life’s storm. In most cases God’s word and wisdom for you, comes to you from the pulpit.
Don’t forget to keep on paying your tithes, most especially if you are facing a financial storm, or any storm that is associated with sicknesses and diseases. The word of wisdom that will get you out may be connected with your tithing habits.
And most importantly keep God’s promises to you as written in the Bible, within your heart, your eyes and your mouth. He will point out the way to you as you are focused on doing this daily.
And if you think that you do not have the time for the Bible, because of your troubles; that’s exactly the reason why you need to be pushing yourself to start doing it.
The devil wants you to stop doing those things that are important to your spiritual growth. Put the weight from those hindrances to your spiritual life behind you now.
It’s time to start looking at Jesus through the pages of your Bible. Get your life back in line with the Lord and start planning ahead for a better future.
Don’t be like those without hope in the world. The world has no faith in Jesus and that is why those in the world are so hopeless and restless.
But you are not of the world, even though you do live in it. You are of God. And those who are of God are His light to the world. Your light is meant to be shining brighter and brighter every day. Don’t let those troubles dim your light out. Let your light keep on shining.
That’s why you can’t afford to be like those in the world, who are without hope. Jesus is offering hope today to those without hope in the world.
Are you ready to start looking up to Him? Or do you want to keep on doing the things that you had been doing before, without any changes to your situation? Those without hope can’t see anything in their future.
You see the angel had to appear before Paul, to give him hope about the future in front of him. That was why he was able to tell others with him on the journey:
“Therefore, take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.”
Acts 27:25 NKJV
He believed that God would do exactly what had been revealed to him. If you do believe that Jesus meant what he said about carrying your burden for you, then you do have hope for tomorrow.
Then you should be resting on what He has said to you in His word. Begin to rest on His promises today. Let Him carry your burden for you. So that you can rest well in Him, and on the power of His word.
Those who are not resting are worried about many things, that they are not supposed to be worried about. The Lord is doing everything possible around them, to catch their attention about what they are doing to themselves, but they are not listening.
Unfortunately, they are too in tune with what they had been taught before, about how to survive in the midst of trouble. And their denominational and theological trainings have been completely distorted by the troubles in front of them. Their spiritual antenna for listening and to hear the Lord has gone so dull and dead.
They have started eating the bread of sorrow, as a result of this spiritual dilemma that they had brought themselves into. Instead of casting their burden on Jesus, they have been trying to carry it by themselves.
Some of them are saying things like the people of the world, that: “Heaven helps those who are helping themselves.”
This is not what the Lord told them to be doing. Jesus told us in the scripture text above to be resting in Him, while He is carrying the burden for us. But some people have been trying to carry their burden by helping themselves.
They are making things worse for themselves. And Jesus can’t carry their burden, while they are trying to help themselves by carrying it. The Lord never said they should be helping themselves. He alone is our Helper.
As the Bible says:
“So, we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Hebrews 13:6 NKJV
The enemy wants you to help yourself, because he doesn’t want you to give the glory to the Lord. Don’t allow yourself to be worn out spiritually and physically, by trying to do what Jesus alone can fix for you.
Take some time out to be resting in preparation for what the Lord is bringing into your life. Rest in Him and watch Him get you out. Look to Jesus now and live.
Are you getting the rest that you do deserve daily? Or are you eating the bread of sorrow, like the unsaved people of the world? They don’t have any hope. That’s why they are living hopelessly. But the Bible says about you that:
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.”
Psalms 130:5 NKJV
And again, it is written:
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
Lamentations 3:24 NKJV
There are a lot of things to do ahead of you when the storm is over. Take time out to be in God’s presence, and start learning from Him, instead of listening to the voice of the world around you. Let Jesus steer your ship for you out of the storm. He is the Master of all storms.
The Bible said about Him in tackling a storm:
“Then He (Jesus) arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”
Mark 4:39 NKJV
Just as Jesus spoke you can also speak His promises to your storm, until His peace manifests to bring you into His prosperity.
You can do it while resting on those same promises. That’s how His grace will begin to carry you, as Jesus is carrying your burden away. His light will cause you to prosper more and more.
Start learning today from the feet of Jesus, by taking your rest in Him and on His promises to you. Release your faith in Him with your confession of faith, instead of your circumstances.
Let Him carry your burden for you. Be at peace with God. Jesus your Helper, Strength, Provider and Healer is waiting on you. Rest in Him now! Everything is going to be just fine with you.
