Courage amidst
turbulence!
Verse for Today: Sunday, February 10, 2013
Acts 27:25 – “So, keep up your
courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me.”
The voice of comfort and hope
from God is heard in the midst of turbulence and turmoil to strengthen His
children to keep going. A shipwreck of the magnitude which Paul endured caused
a lot of concern for all and they were all plunged into hopelessness. But God
had a special purpose for permitting the turbulence on Paul’s way. Through the extremely
dangerous situation, God showed the captain and his officers along with all the
prisoners that He was in control of their ship, the sea and their lives. What their
equipment, technology and experience could not achieve was accomplished by God.
He took special care of the people in the ship because His choice servant was
on that boat. God also planned for Paul to witness to the people on the boat
about the faithfulness of God to His servant and his mission. Paul was going
according to the plan of God to preach gospel in Rome and to write part of the
Scriptures. There were other missions to be accomplished in Malta and Puteoli.
Miracles were to be performed to show the islanders that Jesus was alive and
that He had power over natural elements like sickness, snake, storms, wind and
ship. Paul’s shipwreck is another lesson for us today that no matter how
volatile and hopeless our present situation might be, our God is in control and
nothing will hamper or hinder our sailing through the sea of life. God’s concern
in our sail is not how fast we travel and keep the schedule, but how many lives
we touch for Him. These turbulence are also occasions when God would speak to
His children to reassure them to trust Him to keep going. He speaks to us through
and in the midst of wind, storms, waves and darkness. It is God’s opportunity
to take the praises from the mouths of His children as He ministers to them
with messages of hope, trust and courage.
Dear friend, are you going
through unprecedented turbulence and turmoil in life today? Have you reached a
stage of utter hopelessness and bewilderment due to the extreme danger that you
are faced with? Is your volatile situation taking away your courage and sinking
you deep in fear and anxiety? But even in the midst of the severe storms and
the wind, your Lord would want to reassure and strengthen you. He wants to remind
you that He is in control of your dangerous situation. When He is in control,
there is no reason for you to be alarmed and in anguish. There is a guarantee
that in spite of the intensity of the turbulence, winds and storms, you will
reach the next phase of your ministry for Him. Perhaps the forces of the enemy
are trying to make you fearful and push you to lose your confidence and hope.
You are admonished by God not to trust in your technology, experience and
expertise to find your own way out of the present predicament. Through it all, the Lord wants to speak to you
to reassure, strengthen and encourage you to keep trusting Him to take you
through various phases of your life as a witness to His grace. If there are
delays, it is not to slow you down, but to give you opportunities to touch the
lives of strangers in unexpected places. God’s schedule for you will never be deterred
by the storms and the winds. Even in the midst of shipwrecks, God will keep
your life from being destroyed. Your life will continue to witness to the
faithfulness of God and the fulfillment of the promises of God. So be bold and
courageous in the Lord and strong in your faith in Him to accomplish His
purpose in you even through the turbulence in the sea of life.
Matthew 28:20 – “And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Thought for Today
God imparts courage and strength to His children in the midst of turbulence
to sustain them to accomplish His purpose.
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