"Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them" - Psalm 89:8-9 (NIV).
In the olden days travel between nations was generally by sea. Today while sky travel is dangerous to a degree it cannot be compared to the turbulence that could be experienced on seafare. A storm could well up all of a sudden and wreak havoc the ship, easily tossing all the apparently helpless passengers into oblivion.
The Apostle Paul once experienced a wicked storm. It all started with him warning the ship owners against the journey to Rome, against looming dark clouds, but they insisted nonetheless. They set sail "Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind" (Acts 27:17-15). It got worse, for soon, "We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved" (vv 18-20).
Sometimes there comes a storm in life, so severe, that one loses hope. It could be a health, financial, relationship or reputational storm But wait, just as everyone had given up, an angel of the Lord came and spoke to Paul who then passed on a message of hope to the distraught 276 sailors, "Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head' (vv 35). Eventually the ship battered as it were found ground and all its crew was rescued.
Life is full of storms. Who hasn't gone through a storm! But where you are faced with such, of whatever nature, know that God is greater than any storm. The same God who enabled a battered ship sail through a wicked storm will see you through as you look up to him with unwavering faith.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, for all the storms we find in life, I look up to you that you help me overcome the storm and safely sail through, this I pray in Jesus's name.
Related upcoming events
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06/05/2024 - 07/05/2024 All day“Do not confirm to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)
Almost all cultivators are aware that if soils are used perpetually without rains but constantly under work they are deprived of all nutrients. So, though once productive, they lose all power to yield fresh crops as before. But so is our Christian life when we do not regularly feed our spirit life with the Word!
In our leading verse, the Apostle Paul is urging believers to “renew” their minds rather than make them stale, lest they end up losing all power to yield fruit. But how is this done? We renew our minds by constantly reading the Word of God, for there are always insights with God speaking to us afresh. Psalm 119:104-5 says, “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Apostle Peter reminds us, “Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow and be saved.” It is a beautiful illustration for any who have seen a hungry baby sucking the teats of a mother.
Renewing our minds is also by reading about the lives of people of faith who have walked before us and their created works. The Christian faith started in the first century after Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Now over two millenniums it has produced giants of faith who have shared their walk with God through inspired teachings that are a treasure to dig into. By scouring the writings of the great saints before us, listening to their recorded sermons, songs and preaching, which these days can be found on virtual medial channels like Yu tube, reading their biographies, our faith is renewed.
And then we also renew our faith through fellowship. When the Apostle Paul urges us, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:25), he is reminding us that our faith cannot grow in isolation. During the Covid pandemic lockdown one bitter issue was denying Believers opportunity to meet fellow followers of Christ to share testimonies showing the work of God in their lives.
So today, if your faith is on a low keel, or you want it to flower, one thing you can’t help doing without is “renewing” your mind. The blessings to unfold are endless.
Prayer for today:Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a treasure we have of your rich Word to dig into always; books around us of faith to inspire us; and believers to share our faith- may we make use of these, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
