Encouraged in your storm
Saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ ~ Acts 27:24
Sometimes the storms of life rage so fiercely that it feels impossible to hear anything, let alone the still quiet voice of the Holy Spirit speaking inside of me. When everything is swirling out of control, my natural instinct is to panic. It can feel overwhelming to try to make wise decisions when urgency and pressure are pushing in from every side. If you are anything like me, there is almost a sense of responsibility to do something, anything, to calm the storm instead of waiting for direction. Yet the truth is that peace is available to all of us even when everything around is shaking.
In today’s reading, the ship carrying Paul to Rome became trapped in a violent storm. The crew fought day after day to survive, and the passage says they reached the point where all hope of making it through alive was lost. They were seasick, exhausted, and completely defeated. Then, right in the middle of the chaos, God sent an angel to the apostle Paul with a message of peace and assurance. Paul was strengthened on the inside before anything changed on the outside. Then he shared that hope and peace with everyone else on the ship. Nothing about the storm shifted in that moment. The winds continued to blow, and the waves continued to pound, but their hearts changed. They ate, regained strength, and pressed forward until they reached land.
That is exactly what happens when I hear from the Holy Spirit inside my heart. Circumstances may not shift immediately, but something shifts inside me first. When a scripture comes alive or a whisper from my heavenly Father brings assurance, hope rises and becomes an anchor. Peace settles in. The storm may still be raging, but now I have something steady to hold on to.
Here are some practical ways to apply this passage and how to get started:
- Pause instead of panicking and take a moment to ask God what He wants you to hear about the situation
- Open your Bible and read until a verse strengthens your heart and gives you peace
- Thank God for His presence and care even before anything changes around you
- Choose to speak words of hope instead of fear by saying what God has said about the situation
- Remind yourself of past storms God has brought you through and let those memories build your confidence again
- Take one small obedient step today instead of trying to fix everything all at once
- Share encouragement with someone else who may be facing a storm of their own
Today I want to encourage you to press in until you hear what the Lord is speaking to your heart. Stay there in thanksgiving until His peace fills you, then hold tightly to the scripture or promise He gives you in that moment. Thank Him for that promise every time you think of the storm and watch how things start to shift. He will take you through to victory, and when He does, write it down so you can go back and be strengthened the next time a storm rises against you.
Today’s scripture reading: Acts 27:13-26
13 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.
14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.
15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.
16 And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.
17 When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.
18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.
19 On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.
20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.
22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,
24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’
25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.
26However, we must run aground on a certain island.”
Journal:
- What storm am I facing right now that feels overwhelming?
- What scripture brings peace to my heart in this season?
- How has God brought me through storms in the past?
- What is one thing I can thank God for today while I wait for the situation to change?
- What step of obedience is God leading me to take right now?
The Daily Dose 