Faith in the Storm

Acts 27:23-26

For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.

In the midst of the worst possible danger and storm, Paul was reassured by an angel of God. This in itself is something that many people would not mention because the listeners would not believe such an account, yet Paul told it like it was because his relationship with God was always transparent. It was his total reason for living. Consequently, he refused to alter the facts to make them more palatable. How many times have I sugar-coated what God has done in my life for whatever reason? Unlike Paul who was only concerned about the souls of men, I must be concerned about being socially accepted by men, about fitting in and not being different. But Paul's boast was not in himself, but totally in Jesus Christ even if it meant social ostracism. 

What faith Paul had! In spite of the storm and the obvious danger, he had faith in God. He believed it would be exactly as he had been told. He was convinced that what God said was true, and if God needed to perform a miracle to keep His word, He would. Paul was not restless or fearful, but was completely calm in His trust, in fact he was so calm he was trying to calm the other men on the ship. God's sovereign control and plan gave him complete peace in the midst of storm.    

Father,

Teach me to speak transparently about You to those who don't know You. Give me courage and boldness. Help me to trust You in the face of storm and not worry or fret.

In Jesus name,

Amen