The Eye of the Storm
Today’s Verse:
But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. ~Acts 27:14
The eye of the storm is the centermost part of it. This location is where there is calm and peace. It can also be the most dangerous part of the storm, due to the pressure system. Entering and exiting the eye can be extremely dangerous. Paul was with 275 men on a ship headed to Italy. They got caught in a cyclone-type of storm. Paul described their predicament as: “All hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” It was at this most critical moment that Paul assumed leadership to help these men realize that they were in “the eye of a storm” sent from God.
We see the relief.
“And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.” Even though they were not literally in the eye of a storm, God gave them assurance and a word of relief. First, Paul said, “Be of good cheer.” This is our way of saying, “Cheer up,” or, “It’s all good!” Then, he told them that God told him to “fear not.” When God is in it, we can “fear not.” No storm is bigger than God! Third, he told them there shall be no loss of life. This was God’s guarantee of safety and deliverance. It was plain and understandable. God gave them a powerful word of relief for their fears and anxiety.
We see the rebuke.
“Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.” The men were not teachable until they threw everything valuable overboard and lost all hope. Paul lovingly but sternly rebuked them for not hearkening to him. For many of us, it is sad that we are not teachable until God sends a cyclone into our life. We can avoid so much hurt and loss if we just listen to the counsel of God from the man of God. I wonder how many of those men realized that they should never again let any of God’s words fall to the ground. It is costly when we do not hearken to God.
We see the resolve.
“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” Paul was praying while others were worrying and frantic. God sent His angel to stand alongside of him and give him a message that everything would be well. As Paul spoke above the howling sounds of the storm, he told them, “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” Paul’s faith in God’s power and words gave him unmovable resolve. I believe God! Do you believe God? Do you believe that God is greater than the cyclones in your life? Do you believe that God will get you to where you need to be? Do you believe that God can do the impossible?
We see the rescue.
“And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.” God brought all 276 lives on that ship safely to land. God did not promise to save the ship: He promised to save their lives! God did not promise that they would all get to land without getting wet: He promised that they would get safely to land. Notice how there were “some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship.” It didn’t matter how each man got to land. What mattered was that “they escaped all safe to land.” Let God write the script for your life, and enjoy the journey that is involved. Realize that the cyclones that He gives us have a greater reason behind them. Realize that they are experiences to be testified of that give God all the glory. The eye of every storm is when we trust God completely and allow Him to get us safely to the next destination.
Have a resolved God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Jeremiah 4-6