Running Against The Wind

April 1

Read: Acts 27-28:8

“And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us.” (v.4)

I am not a sailor, but I am definitely one who knows the sensation of “the winds being against” me. Have you ever felt like you were running against the wind? Who controls the winds anyways? God controls the wind and the waves… and in this moment they were against Paul’s progress towards Rome. Why? The answers to this question MAY become more clear as we read - but it highlights a difficult truth. God did want Paul to travel to Rome. God was NOT trying to stop Paul from ultimately getting there. God WAS working against his getting there right now. They were, indeed, sailing against the wind!

It is very possible for God to want you to be someplace eventually and yet impede your progress of getting there… slow you down… frustrate your efforts. To the uninitiated… this comes as a surprise. For Paul, this opposition did not stop. The trip remained “difficult” the entire time… from stop to stop… they were fought every step of the way:

“We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with DIFFICULTY off Cnidus, and as the wind DID NOT ALLOW us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Coasting along it with DIFFICULTY, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.” (v.7-8)

Sometimes the winds get so strong against us they “will not allow” us to move forward. They sometimes force us to stop. As we journey towards where God is calling us ultimately, we should expect stiff winds at times… even moments of being stopped dead in our tracks. This DOES NOT mean God has abandoned getting us where he wants us to go… it simply means there is work to be done on the way! It also means sometimes you need to just stop… you need to take a break:

“Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.” (v.9-12)

Paul was not recommending they stop because he was trying to avoid his trial. We know this to be true… he has openly declared it. (“If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death.” Acts 25:11) It is just that sometimes, rushing too soon towards the ultimate goal God has for us can be destructive for not only us but the people around us! It can cost real money and resources… it can even cost human life. This is exact what Paul said… to continue on would result in the loss of “not only cargo and the ship, but also lives.” Nevertheless, sometimes we listen to the “experts” instead of the Lord. The centurion ignores Paul (as a voice of the Lord) and takes the advice of the ship owner and pilot. No doubt this makes “sense”, but sometimes what seems to “make sense”may not be the right move… especially if it goes against the voice of the Lord. As God’s people, we serve something (someone) that trumps “sense”… we serve the LORD.

One final takeaway: notice how the Lord spoke to Paul while on that ship? Do not fear, the Lord will speak to you… even when he has the winds blowing against you. Sailing into the wind is not necessarily punishment. It is not always the Lord telling you that you are headed the wrong way. Sometimes it is the Lord telling you to slow down… other times telling you to stop. He is still working to get you where you need to go! When you feel yourself sailing against the wind, ASK the Lord what he is doing. ASK him what he wants you to do. If the resistance is coming from SIN, he will tell you. Simply confess and repent, then keep on sailing! If he tells you to slow down… he has work for you “along the way” … then enjoy that work. If he tells you to stop… then stop!… even if the “pilot and the owner” say otherwise. If you missed it, and started sailing again despite God’s instruction, then pull over now… even if it means “running the ship aground”:

“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.” (v. 27:23-26)

In the end, it is God’s plan for Paul that spares the lives of these sailors! God’s work in Paul is bringing other people LIFE… literally life. Paul’s sufferings and difficulty bring LIFE to those around him. On this Maundy Thursday (Night of Jesus’ last supper / passover) we think back on the way JESUS’ suffering brought us LIFE. We can think of Jesus’ life which was always moving towards God’s ultimate plan and promise for him… despite times of the “wind blowing against him”. We think of the times that Jesus slowed down and stopped for the sake of those around him. May this encourage all of us who, today, feel like we are running against the wind. God is working in you and torough you to bring life… even spare the lives of those around you on the journey. May we “take heart and have faith”. There are better days ahead. Love you guys. - JDP