BIBLE READING

Acts 27: 39-44

When daylight came, they did not recognise the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. But the ship struck a sand-bar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf…. the centurion…ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.

REFLECTION

So they make it. The boat sinks but they survive. Storms always have an ending. It may seem like the pain won’t ease, the debt won’t get paid, you won’t get through, the heartache will never go away, you’ll never get over it – but every storm eventually passes.

Sometimes the storm doesn’t change so much as you change within the storm.

Sometimes God doesn’t take us out of the storm as quickly as we would like – but He keeps us in the midst of the storm and brings us through it.

Sometimes the boats doesn’t survive. That which we dreaded most actually happens.

You see, God doesn’t promise to save the boat – but He does promise to save me. And so, even if the boat goes down – God is still just as faithful.

If you look - Some made it by clinging to broken pieces of the ship.

One preacher who I listened to said this. When you’re in a shipwreck cling onto every piece of the ship that you can. Hold onto what you have:

Wor – ship

Fellow – ship

Disciple – ship

Steward – ship

It’s often the small daily disciplines that keep you afloat. In the Christian life, it’s not the big conferences and super-spiritual experiences that get you through storms – it’s the daily and weekly decisions you make - to keep coming to church, to spend time in God’s Word, to serve others and give whatever you can, to keep focused on Christ and to live for Him – that’s the stuff that carries you through because it has stored up inside you a resilience and a strength which can survive the battering that life brings.