Navigating Life’s Storms

Every human being faces heartache, trouble, difficulty. Life Storms so to speak. All of us have either been in a storm, are in a storm or are headed into a storm.

Look at Job 5:7 “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.”

Jesus said it this way In Matthew 5:45 “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Though everyone experiences trouble, we as believers have a very unique kind of trouble. If you are following Jesus, you have an enemy who passionately hates Jesus, therefore you as well.

Three Biblical Principles about Storms

  1. Storms change our comfort.

Acts 27:13-15 NIV When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.”

Storms change our comfort, that’s why we hate them and fear them. We like things just the way they are. Most people love their comfort zone.

But storms always take us out of our comfort zone. Storms bring difficulty, conflict, danger, headwind, it can slow us down and change our direction.

Even though Paul was in the will of God there was still difficulty, danger and a strong headwind.

This is definitely a dangerous, difficult situation that Paul is in but it was needed. Sometimes you and I need to get our comfort challenged.

A physical example is if you don’t exercise and move much you get flabbier and weaker. You might be comfortable but if you don’t add some resistance to challenge your muscles your body changes for the worse.

Sometimes we call this getting into a rut – It can be Physically, Mentally or Spiritually.

When we move and exercise and eat right we feel better, have more energy and are stronger. When you read books and listen to podcasts and messages you exercise your brain, you learn and stretch your thinking and expand your knowledge.

When you exercise spiritually like Praying, reading and studying God’s Word, using your spiritual gifts, listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You grow and deepen your faith.

A rut is when we are used to the things being a certain way and when a storm or a person comes along and disrupts that, when it changes our comfort we freak out.

But could it be that God has something so much better than what you’re experiencing right now? That may be why the storm is coming.

  1. Storms also change your Values.

 Acts 27:16-20 NIV 

“As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.”

Here we see them preparing the ship for this storm, battening down the hatches so to speak. Because of the storm they didn’t know exactly where they were at, or where they were heading. Storms can disorient us and send us on a wild ride.

Fear began to grip them and fear causes us to not think clearly and make quick or rash decisions.

Here they can’t run and hide from the storm so they try to face it but it’s too powerful, they start throwing everything they can overboard to lighten the load.

Their values and priorities changed. All the things on board were less important than surviving. They threw everything they could overboard.

In a storm we should toss out what won’t help us survive. When a storm hits you hard suddenly that paycheck is not as important as you thought it was. 

In a storm we suddenly realize what’s really most important in our lives, and its not stuff, it’s not money and possession, it’s people and our relationship with God.

Granger Smith Story – Country Music Superstar – in 2019 his son River drowned in the family pool. Plunging them into a deep storm. During this storm Granger and his wife Amber find redemption and purpose, they battle through the tragic loss and turn to God – to Jesus for Faith, Hope and Peace.

Granger left his career in Country music and has dedicated the rest of his life to sharing his story and the good news of Jesus Christ in transforming our lives.

Proverbs 11:4 “Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

  1. Storms will bring out the best in you or they will bring out the worst in you.

Acts 27:21-25 NIV

“After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

Paul tells them here I told you so, not to rub it in, but to urge them to listen to him this time. Paul was taking charge, going from a prisoner on the ship to in essence the captain of the ship.

A good point to make here is that we should all listen to wise godly counsel.

In times of storms we need strong christian leaders to lead. When there is a difficulty and everyone is burned out, paralyzed by fear or panicking a leader arises.

The storm brought out the best in Paul. He shares that the Lord had appeared to him through a messenger and he shares what was told to him.

The metal of a man or a woman is tested in difficulty. If you want to find out who a person is, listen to them, watch them observe them in a trial or difficult time. That’s when a person’s true character is revealed.

Why was Paul able to stay so calm and lead so confidently in the midst of this devastating storm?

Three Anchors that help us through the storms:

  1. The Anchor of our Identity.

“Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong”

Do you belong to Him? Have you given your life to Jesus Christ? If you do belong to God then you have a new identity, you are a child of God, fully adopted into HIs family with full benefits of being a son or daughter of the most high God.

That identity of being in Christ gives you a completely different perspective in trials, difficulties and danger.

If we belong to the Lord God, then we are His responsibility. 

  1. The Anchor of our Service.  Another word we could put there is Worship.

“and whom I serve stood beside me”

Paul is on a mission from God. He knows who he belongs to and he knows why he is still alive. His life is about serving God, Worshiping God with his whole life. Everything Paul did went through the filter of serving and worshiping God.

Paul believed, and we should as well that if we are on my mission from God that he will protect you until you are done with that mission. Paul knew God was calling him to Rome and that he would get there.

Only God knows when our time is up. So keep serving Him, Keep Worshiping Him until that day comes.

  1. The Anchor of our Faith. Or Trust.

“So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me”

Paul trusted God’s Word – Do you completely trust God’s Word?

Our Faith in God is a strong anchor in a time of trouble. God is a promise keeper and we can hold onto the many promises he gives us in His Word.

Abraham Lincoln – President during the most terrible time in our country the Civil War. Bible on his Desk. After he died they looked through and they noticed under one of the Psalms a smudge mark that looked like a place he would have put his finger to read the Psalm.

Psalm 34:4 “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

That’s a great Word from God for a leader during a difficult, painful, dangerous time.

The enemy also has some anchors he wants to use to weigh us down: Lies, Doubt, Fear. So understand and embrace your true identity, Serve and worship the Lord daily and Trust God completely.