SAILING INTO STORMS OF OUR OWN MAKING

I remember a time in Fayetteville, Arkansas when I experienced one of the worst lines of thunderstorms I have ever been in. There were sustained winds of forty miles per hour, tornados all around, golf ball sized hail, and multiple

inches of rain in a very few hours.

I turned on the TV in the early hours of the morning when I was awakened by the tornado sirens and one of the things the weather man said struck me as a little unnecessary, "If you don't have to go out, don't; stay inside." OK no argument from me! It is kind of my default position not to go out in storms! Thank God for the first responders who were active all that night helping those who were hurt or had their property damaged. They were willing to go out in the storm that most of us wanted to avoid!

Acts 27:1-14 records one of the worst storms spoken of in the Bible. It is a named storm. God refers to it as Euroclydon. I do not know its low-pressure mark, wind speed, or storm surge but I think it was a full-blown hurricane. How would you like to be out on the Mediterranean Sea in a small single masted ship in a hurricane? That is where Paul finds himself as he is on his journey to Rome where he is going to be judged by Caesar.

Paul places the time of sailing as when the "fast was already past." It is a reference to the Day of Atonement and it means winter is coming on. It is a time to seek shelter but instead the captain sets sail.  Why did he make the decision to sail when it was wiser to stay in the harbor? Consider three factors that may have caused him and can cause us to sail into storms.

IMPULSE / IMPATIENCE

In verse 4, we learn that the winds were "contrary."  Literally, the winds were the opposite of what was needed for the journey. Because the winds had been contrary according to verse 7, they were behind schedule and taking much longer than they had wanted to take for the journey. After all, we have our schedules and schedules must be kept! The Centurion and the Captain want to get to Rome.

One of the lessons I have learned over the years is that God leads us, Satan pushes us. Have you ever noticed the tactics of the world, that the deal is only good right now, not later? You can buy the car today at this great price but only if you sign the sales contract now! Supplies won’t last so, order now! Now, Now, Now, yield to the impulse! Impulse and impatience have taught me this: The greatest mistakes I have made in life are when I move too fast not too slow! The Centurion was no doubt a man of discipline and order and nothing could interrupt his view of his assignment. I appreciate all of those factors until they become the priority over the needs of those we love and lead. A lot of parents wish they would have altered the schedule and had mor time for relationships. Pastors can become so committed to timelines and goals as to miss opportunities of ministry to people. Is it possible the Centurion valued the schedule more than the souls on board?

TAKING THE WRONG COUNSEL

In verses 11-12 Paul, admonishes the Centurion to stay in the Fair Havens until winter passes. No doubt Paul had been in prayer and had a distinct leading of the Spirit that it would be unwise to set sail. However, the Centurion had another counsellor, the captain of the vessel. The captain was a man who had for years made his living sailing this vessel on these seas. If anyone knew the situation it would be him. He had the experience and that was all that mattered. Sometimes secular experience is wise until it is not. No earthly counsellor is smarter than God. We can set sail into storms when we guide our decisions by the wisdom of the world when it is contrary to the will of God.

Be careful to take the counsel of the Word of God even when it is contrary to the latest greatest fad and fashion of the world. Guide your financial life by the principles of the Word not the latest Wall Street Guru. Establish your marriage relationship as God teaches, parent like God instructs. Heed His warning on matters of separation and you will save yourself a lot of rough seas. In this case, the man who knew God was wiser than the man who knew the sea.

A DESIRE FOR EASE

Evidently Fair Havens was not as a fair as its name suggests. The Captain and the Centurion deemed it not “commodious” for the winter months. Instead, they wanted to get to Phenice, or as it was often referred to, the “City of Palms.” It was better situated than the Fair Havens as the southern winds came there in the winter. It was a larger city with entertainment for the sailors, supplies, and favorable weather. It is not always God’s will for us to be in comfortable circumstances, even though that is the message of many modern-day preachers. Too many times comfort and ease form the deciding factors for our choices. Being guided by comfort, possessions, security though certainly desirable can sail us right into storms. In just a little while Fair Havens is going to be understood as a great place to winter, right in the center of God’s will.

God is with us in the storms of life and praise Him for His presence. We can have peace in the midst of the storm. However, let’s be careful that our impulsiveness, our listening to bad counsel, and our desire for pleasure, comfort, and ease do not bring us into the storm we did not have to encounter.