Acts 27:44
“And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”
When the Apostle Paul was transferred to Rome for his trial, the ship he was on encountered a storm. The storm, which is called Euroclydon, is a cyclonic wind that blows in the Mediterranean during the autumn and winter. Euroclydon is a very dangerous wind in which to sail. Paul and those on the ship encountered these winds and through a series of destructive events, including the breaking up of the ship, they made it safe to land.
Every Christian will encounter their Euroclydon. When the cyclonic winds blow in your life, it is important to follow the instructions of the One Who controls those winds. In this event when Paul’s ship sailed through this storm, there were several choices they made that brought them safely to land. These same decisions must be made when you encounter your cyclonic winds.
First, when the cyclonic winds of life come your way, believe God. When the shipmen were trusting human wisdom, Paul was trusting Divine wisdom. It is so easy to trust your instincts and feelings when the storms come, but you must believe what God tells you in His Word. The things that God says that seem right when there are no storms are still right when the storms come. You will never make it through the storms without believing God.
Second, stay on the ship. Paul told the shipmen that they would only make it safely to land if they stayed on the ship. You may think that quitting is the best answer to your cyclonic storms, but that will only make matters worse. Don’t quit reading the Scriptures, praying, attending church or fulfilling your ministry responsibilities. Staying on the ship and doing what you have always done is the best way to make it through your cyclonic storms.
Third, don’t lose hope. After not seeing the sun or stars for several days, those in the ship lost hope. Friend, just because it seems your storm will never end doesn’t mean you should lose hope. It doesn’t matter how long your storm may last; God will stay with you in the storm. When hope’s flame is flickering, keep going. If your hope is placed in God, it won’t matter how long the storm may last. Place your hope in God and you won’t lose hope in the cyclonic storms.
Fourth, give thanks for what you do have. Paul encouraged the men of the ship to eat what they had, and before they ate, he gave thanks for the food. You may not have much during the cyclonic storms of your life, but be sure to give thanks for what you do have. You will always have something to give thanks for in the storm, so identify what that is and give thanks. That is the key to keeping your sanity and hope during the storm.
Fifth, do the right thing. When they were going to kill all the prisoners, one centurion did the right thing and persuaded the soldiers not to kill them. When your cyclonic storms come, continue to do the right thing. You knew how to do right before the storms came, so continue to do what you know is right; this is your only hope of getting safe to land. Don’t change course during the storm. Keep doing right and you will eventually find yourself making is safely through the cyclonic storms.