The apostle Paul is in the middle of a terrible storm in Acts 27. So much about the journey seemed ordinary, but suddenly a great storm found Paul and the others in the ship in danger of losing their lives. Paul has received a promise from the Lord and he is leaning on what God has told him. The first two things we have said we must keep in mind is God’s perception of our storm and God’s promises in spite of our storm.
There is a third thought I want to mention. We must keep in mind GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE MIDST OF OUR STORM.
In the middle of the storm, Paul found that he was not alone. In vs 23 Paul said, For there stood by me the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve. What a blessing to realize that no matter how dark the night, how deep the valley or how dangerous the storm that we may be facing, we never have to face it alone. The great preacher Billy Graham once said, “Nothing we experience ever catches God by surprise or is too big for Him to handle. Even when our day seems dark, God never leaves us, nor does He allow anything to come our way that can overwhelm us.” There is nothing that we will ever face in this life that we will ever have to face alone. It was in Hebrews 13:5-6 that I believe it was Paul that wrote the words, for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper.
Later in Rome when Paul had to stand before Nero, he wrote how that none stood with him but, in 2 Tim 4:17 he said, Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me. I wonder how often the apostle Paul leaned on the words he wrote to the Philippian church when he said in Philippians 4:13-I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. The word strengtheneth is a remarkable word. It carries the idea of a medical situation when one person has the blood of another person transfused into their body. Paul’s thought is that he can face these things because it isn’t accomplished by his own strength, but Christ is transfusing His power and His strength into Paul’s life.
Thank God, we can count on Him in the storm. He will never abandon us in the storms of life. He will give us the strength to face all that comes our way and stand by us through it all. So, keep in mind God’s perception of your storm, cling to His promises in spite of your storm, recognize His presence in the midst of your storm, then, the next study will provide one final thought.
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