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. Acts 27:14-15 NIV
Acts 27 tells of a time in the life of Paul that has parallels to the this past month as we navigate through COVID-19. As Luke describes the situation Paul and his friends faced, he uses phrases like, “the winds were against us” (verse 4), “the wind did not allow us to hold our course” (verse 7), “we moved along with difficulty” (verse 8), and “much time had been lost” (verse 9). Do you feel like your life has been knocked off course by this coronavirus? Has much time been lost?
Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. Acts 27:17b NIV
Sometimes fear takes over and we find that we just give way to it and allow our circumstances to drive us along, farther and farther from where we want to be! Are you afraid of getting this virus or passing it to a loved one? Are you worried about finances or anxious that your business will not survive the shut down? Luke says in verse 18, “We took such a violent battering from the storm!” Can you relate?
Faith and fear can not co-exist. Either we trust God completely with the outcome and stop entertaining the worse case scenario or we surrender to fear and allow it to drive us into despair. Strong faith stands the test of time; it doesn’t give up when the virus toll rises and the income diminishes.
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. Acts 27:20 NIV
On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. Acts 27:27a NIV
Using this map, look how far they were driven off course! They started in Fair Havens, intending to go to Phoenix, but the storm drove them across the sea all the way to Malta!
Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. Acts 27:29 NIV
There comes a time when we need to say, “Enough is enough,” when we drop anchors and refuse to allow our faith to be driven off course! If we want to serve God we must live in faith, we simply cannot allow our circumstances to steal our joy and render us hopeless. We must dig our heels in and stand firm, trusting God to see us through the storm and leaving the outcome in His hands!
Esther reached that point, when she realized Mordecai was right, so she resolved to fast and pray, then approached the king with the mentality, “If I perish, I perish.” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego dropped anchors when they declared to King Nebuchadnezzar, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand, but even if he doesn’t, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up!” Job resolved to stay on course when he refused to curse God and instead declared, “Though He slay me, yet will I serve Him!”
Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Acts 27:33-36 NIV
How are you responding to COVID-19? Are you standing strong in your faith, drawing closer to God and encouraging those around you? Or do you feel like you’ve lost control and are allowing this virus to drive you off course? If it’s the later, it’s time to drop anchor! Determine today to draw near to God and allow Him to build up your faith so that you, like Paul, can encourage others. As you pray and fast, dig into God’s word and seek Him with all your heart, He will fill you with peace and assurance in the midst of the storm. You will no longer be driven along; you will be anchored in Him!
If you’d like to see how this storm turned out for Paul, you can read the rest of the story in Acts 27. But I’ll give you a clue: the final verse ends with, “everyone reached land in safety.”
We are always being driven by the storms of life. This virus is just one more storm, although a very big one.
May we trust our anchor and, as daylight comes, say “We got here through the help of the Lord. Here I raise MY Ebeneezer!”
Amen.
thank you for the reading.