4 Life Lessons in Hard Times

It is so important that we rest in Jesus when facing the uncertain seas of life.  Recently, my wife was sharing the story of how we met, our dating years, and our path to getting married.  The spring and summer before we got married were filled with ups and downs.  I got pretty sick in April 1990.  Doctors started testing me for cancer and told me to call my parents.  Then the doctors said it wasn’t cancer, but that it was mono.  I spent the last two weeks of my college senior year in the campus hospital.  My spleen was enlarged (very painful) and made it very hard to use my core for anything. I improved enough to walk for graduation, but then spent the summer recuperating.  I tried to do some yard work in the middle of the summer, but my spleen enlarged again, and I was ordered to rest again.  Eventually, I recovered.  Here are the ups and downs of Paul’s sea voyage.

27:1-12 – Traveling to Rome

They shouldn’t have traveled at this time of year.  Paul warns them as such, but the captain insists they were safe, and the Centurion agrees with the captain.  So, the sea voyage begins.

27:13-20 – Trouble at sea

The word “Euroclydon” was not used anywhere else in the New Testament. Commentators believe the original language points to the winds like those of a hurricane (Barnes Notes).  Other commentators point to winds like those of a tornado or typhon (Jamieson, Faucett, and Brown). The ESV and NKJV translations use the phrase “tempestuous winds” and the NASB uses the phrase “violent winds.” Either way, these winds indicate very significant storms!  The crew start to lose all hope…casting things overboard to lighten their load.  Things look very grim indeed (27:20)!

27:21-26 – Turmoil turns to hope

Paul is visited by an angel and told they would be safe.  God had a job for Paul (to be brought before Caesar) and the Lord would see to it that Paul gets to Caesar. God had promised Paul he would testify in Rome (Acts 23:11).  The angel in Acts 27:24 is repeating that promise!  However, do not miss how hope is given in Acts 27:23-25. Paul speaks of what God’s messenger (an angel) told him.  Comfort still comes from God’s Word today!

Don’t forget God’s promises.

Many years ago, when all of our children were much younger, we had friends who also had two young children.  Their father was a 6’ 5” broad shouldered muscular man.  Their home had high vaulted ceilings.  So, it was his habit to take his 1.5-year-old son, repeatedly throw him in the air, and catch him.  This whole time the mother would be nervous, but the little boy would laugh and laugh with each throw towards the ceiling.  This little guy was at rest as he placed his full faith in his Daddy’s care and love for him.  In fact, he would say “again” or “more!”  This little boy’s child-like faith focused more on his Daddy than on the danger.

Paul’s hope was grounded in that he “believed God.” (27:25) (Ps. 119:66).  Paul chooses not to live out of fear of what could happen in this situation.  Instead, he chose to live by what would happen as God had said.  Remember, we are often tempted to embrace fear when questioning God’s Word.  Our focus on the circumstance causes us to ignore or even question God’s Word.  Then we forget scripture like, Heb. 13:5 (He will never leave me or forsake me); Ps. 147:5 (God is powerful and knows everything); Ps. 86:5 (forgiving and merciful), and the list can go on!

27:27-44 – Touch and Go for a Time

The ship tries to make its way to a “certain creek with a shore” (27:39).  This created a very tense time for the crew, centurion, the other prisoners, and Paul. 

Two different bodies of water came together in the same place the ship was passing through.  The ship runs a ground, and it starts breaking apart. The other soldiers desire to kill the prisoners, so they would not swim to their escape, but the centurion wants to save Paul and kept the other soldiers from killing him (27:43). They all escape to land safely…just as God promises.

4 Life Lessons in Hard Times:

1.      God is sovereign.

God could have chosen to move the storm out of the way of their travels.  Instead, God chooses to move the people through the storm.  The ship starts falling apart.  Soldiers want to kill him.  God does as He said, and Paul (as well as everyone else) reaches land safe and sound.  Nothing can keep God from accomplishing His plan.

2.      Trust Your Sovereign God. 

A crucial way to practice trusting God is to pray. There is unspeakable comfort when we rehearse God and trust Him. (Is. 26:3-4)

Rehearsing the financial loss, or the unexpected bills, or the health diagnosis, or the relational conflict will stir up greater anxiety and worry.  However, rehearsing who our great God is (and always will be) will bring a peace amid the storm.

When your junior high basketball team is down by 25 points at the beginning of the 4th quarter and LeBron James shows up and says he wants to play on your team – the worry of losing is wiped away because you know how great LeBron James is!

When all the others lost hope and the end seemed to be at hand, Paul demonstrated his trust in God and prayed because he knew how great the Lord is!

3.      Trusting God brings rest, not worry or fear.

Paul had no other visible sign they would be rescued.  Ever feel that way? Trust that God knows what He is doing!  Paul did have what the Lord told him in prayer…and he said in Acts 27:25 – I believe God!  He continued thinking in a way that was consistent with his prayer and his understanding of who God is.

4.      Trusting God requires an accurate memory.

The angel reminded Paul of what he had already been promised- “You will testify in Rome.”  God has promised you many things!  Don’t forget what God has promised!

To clarify, God’s promises do not always remove hard things…but they will always see you through the hard things. 

One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. “I don't get it,” he said. “Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did.”

“But you didn't notice,” said the winning woodsman, “that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest.”—Lewis Sperry Chafer

Resting in Jesus is not sitting around worrying or fearful. 

Resting in Jesus is not the idea of doing nothing.  It is an active choice to get in the Word, yield to the Word, and live by the Word. 

This sharpens your life for Jesus.  Rest in Jesus and find peace and deliverance amid the storms!

3 Observations about Undesirable Valleys

In the business world there must be a dozen (if not dozens) of books and seminars entitled, “The Pathway to Success.”  Time will be spent on how to dress for success, the attitude for success, and the actions that will lead to success.  Everything is geared to be appealing and exciting to the human eye.

However, Psalm 23 reminds us that the desired successful mountain top experiences are often misinterpreted or misunderstood.  Many a Christian will look at Christians during mountain top experiences and say how they long to be like that!  A person sees a lot of people saved, God seems to be clearly reflected in their life, and there seems to be a joy that never ends!

When we look at the mountain tops, we often fail to realize or remember that it will take the paths in the valley to get to the mountain top!  This is usually the last place any of us want to go…but it is the place that leads to the mountain top.  We must trust the Lord that the valleys will lead to mountain top times in His time. 

Background: Notice that the Psalmist now changes his Psalm directly to the Lord.  The personal pronouns “I” and “Thou” now enter the conversation.  Also, remember that when God sent Samuel to anoint David as the next King, he wasn’t at home – he was tending to his father’s flock high in the hills.  David knew firsthand the difficulties and dangers (as well as the joy and delight) of the journey to the mountain top.

Before David was King, he was a shepherd fighting off dangerous animals.

1.     The Valley is necessary

When we lived in Colorado, we often enjoyed taking people for a day trip into the mountains. We lived at 7000 feet above sea level, but a drive up Mount Evans would easily double that distance. The views were spectacular! It was definitely worth the drive. However, to get to the mountain peak we had to drive through the valley.

You cannot get to the mountain top without going through the valley.  What we often want is a helicopter ride instead – and that can be very costly (financially and spiritually).  But the reality is...it will cost me something when the Lord leads me through the valley as well. 

Everything of great value will have great cost. 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”  It doesn’t say that we will necessarily die there, but it does say we walk through it!

So … “Why is this necessary?”  Consider 4 Answers to “why the valley?”

1.     It brings glory to God with dependence on Him alone (Hebrews 11:6)

2.     It gives proper perspective (Hebrews 11:13)

3.     It helps me help others (II Cor. 1:3-5)

4.     It is the best watered path, and as a result, it helps us grow (James 1:3-4)

2.     The Valley is revealing

The Psalmist says, “I will fear no evil for thou are with me.” When a boxer goes into the ring, his abilities are revealed for all to see.  Last year, I watched the weigh in and news conference of a big fight.  Both fighters were trying to show themselves to be stronger and tougher than the other; however, one of the fighters was particularly proud and cocky. He made quite the big show for all the reporters and cameras.  He even attempted to intimidate his opponent in every way possible. When it came time for the fight, the fighter who was so big at the news conference was knocked out with one punch.

When we are in the valley the Lord reveals us to ourselves.  That can be a very frightening thing.  We often think we are more than what we are! We think we were more courageous, more powerful, more skilled, and definitely more spiritual!

“You will never know the fullness of Christ, until you feel the emptiness of everything else but Christ.” 

What leads to the mountain top experiences is realizing that we are nothing without Him.

 3.     The Valley is rewarding

God’s desire is to bring me to higher ground!  Our Good Shepherd knows the way of the valley.  He also knows the peak of the mountain … and He knows what is needed to bring us to the peak.  In the meantime, remember that when you see folks in those mountain top experiences – remember they went through the valley to get there.

So … center your attentions on these 4 areas as you live life each day...so when you begin to walk through a valley, you are fortified!

• …Prayer (John 15:5)

• …the Bible (Jeremiah 23:29: Hebrews 4:12)

• …Relationships (John 15:12; Romans 14:19; I Thessalonians 5:11)

• …Obedience (John 14:15; James 1:22)

Lastly, the ultimate reward is fearing no evil. That is quite the prize!  Where does peace come from?  Where does fearing no evil originate?  It is all rooted in the reality of God’s presence (Exodus 33:14).  The story is told of a few ladies from the USA Judo Olympic Team walking down the streets of Sydney, Australia after their competition that day. Before they knew it a group of men decided they were going to mug these ladies ... not knowing they were Olympians … in the martial arts. The ladies warned them to stay away and they refused. The men made their move and before the men knew what had happened, they were all face down on the ground subdued by the ladies awaiting the police to arrive. Knowing just that story, most if not all of us would feel safe walking around with those ladies. Their mere presence would calm our fears of evil. If we were to see them in action it would calm our fears even more.

You and I have seen God in action. We have seen answers to prayer. We have seen people saved.  We have seen people baptized.  We have seen Him build His church!  We have read of his own actions in the Bible: the walls of Jericho came down without anyone touching them, the Red Sea parted to dry ground for more than a million people to pass through it before the enemy arrived, Jesus healed the nobleman's son and the woman with the issue of blood... it even came to the point that people would tear apart a roof and lower a man into the house -- just to get close to Jesus. The understanding was clear: if I can just get to Jesus, everything will be better. 

So, as you and I walk through the valleys of our own life, do whatever it takes to get close to Jesus.

Also, remember that the undesirable valley is necessary for the mountain top view, for revealing my own character and relationship with Jesus, and for higher ground!

So, embrace the valley. The valley, though hard at times, will transform you into a greater likeness of the Good Shepherd. I mean, we all could use some more personal holiness, love, mercy, and grace…couldn’t we? I know I could.