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!