Sailing Through Life

Good Intentions and Rocky Places

“And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter... And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.”

Paul was going to Rome as a prisoner. His fate was in the hands of a centurion named Julius, an unnamed ship's captain and, at times, the whim of the majority. There are times when important life decisions are out of our hands. At least, it seems that way. The truth is, no child of God's life is ever beyond His control or out of His hands. It's easy to say that—it's much harder to live it. That's because even when man's best laid plans are shipwreck, all can be going according to God's plan.

When life is rolling along at modern breakneck speed, it's hard to let go of the steering wheel. Thankfully, in most instances, God does not want us to do so. God is interested in every detail of our life, but He doesn't want to micromanage all our actions. He wants His children to make their own decisions based on His word and His principles.

Yet, there are times when we must admit we're in over our head and allow God to take over. As Paul found, there are other times when circumstances snatch the wheel from our hands and we have no choice except to trust in God to keep us between the ditches. During these times it's easy to become discouraged or to believe God has forsaken us. Paul got on board the ship knowing disaster was lurking just over the horizon. It didn't require a lot of faith on Paul's part---he had no choice. Faith stepped on board when Paul trusted God and remained convinced His word was true. He would make it to Rome and he would appear before Caesar as God promised.

The storm could destroy the ship, but it could not destroy God's promise to His servant. The storm could alter the ship's course, but it could not alter God's plan for Paul. The key to a positive outcome was to stay on board with God. Paul got wet, but he made it to Rome. Storms will blow you into situations you don't want to face. Don't be discouraged, Jesus is both the author and the finisher of our faith. He will see you through the storms of life.