Out of Control
And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment. ~ Acts 27:1
If you are anything like me, you like feeling as if you are in control of most areas of your life. Even if it is only on the surface, I tend to feel safest when I am the one deciding what comes next. For many years I made choices based on what seemed popular or what I wanted in the moment, but those choices often placed me in situations where I ended up with no control over the consequences. I was not following wisdom, so I had to deal with the results of those decisions. At times I became frustrated because I found myself calling out for help, usually financial, since I lived with a mindset centered only on me and mine. In those seasons it would have been easy to fall into a victim mentality, and sometimes I did. But mostly I realized that I had created the mess, and it was up to me to fix it. Thank God I still had enough sense to call on Him, even when I had pushed Him out of most parts of my life.
Now I try to make my decisions based on God’s direction. When I do not know what to do, I no longer ask opinions from people who do not follow the Lord. I seek godly counsel and press into the Holy Spirit for His plan. He is faithful every single time, and He always has a way prepared. My part is to follow His plan. God’s instructions are almost always different from what I would have chosen on my own, and they always require me to take steps of faith, trusting that God will do His part as I do mine.
In today’s reading, Paul was facing circumstances completely outside of his control. He was a prisoner, and most prisoners had no rights and no voice. Yet because Paul was following God’s assignment, he experienced supernatural favor. Julius, the centurion in charge, showed kindness to Paul and even allowed him to visit friends and receive care and provisions. Paul was given a level of freedom that prisoners did not normally receive. He was trusted to go on his own while the ship was docked at Sidon. This happened because Paul stayed in step with God’s plan, even when the path placed him in difficult and unpredictable situations.
This gives me hope because God offers the same favor in my life. I can experience His goodness in places where I have no control. At work, in public settings, or during seasons of intense pressure or trial, I can be sure that God’s favor can find me right where I am.
Below are some ways you can apply this truth in your life:
- I can pray each morning for God to lead my decisions with wisdom
- I can identify one area where I have been trying to stay in control and surrender it to God
- I can seek counsel from people who love God instead of relying on opinions that pull me away from Him
- I can look for traces of God’s favor during challenging moments
- I can choose gratitude when circumstances feel uncertain
You can get started right away by asking God to show you one decision today that needs His direction. Pause before reacting so you can ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Then write down one situation in your life that feels out of control and give it to God in prayer. Spend time reading scripture to strengthen your trust in God’s plan. Pay attention to small ways God makes a way for you even when things are difficult.
Today I want to encourage you to trust God with every area of your life that feels out of control. As you listen to His voice and follow His direction, you will see His hand guiding, protecting, and providing for you. You will experience favor in unexpected ways and discover that God is in full control even when you are not. You can only control one person, and that is you, but God is more than able to handle everything else.
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 27:1-8
1 And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of the Augustan Regiment.
2 So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.
3 And the next day we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care.
4 When we had put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 And when we had sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board.
7 When we had sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone.
8 Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
Journal:
- What situation in my life feels most out of control right now?
- Where do I sense God asking me to trust Him instead of trying to fix everything on my own?
- Where have I seen God’s favor even when circumstances have been difficult?
- What is one step of obedience I can take today that shows I am trusting God’s plan?
The Daily Dose 