The Driving Storm

     We have storms (personal, emotional, and spiritual) in life that we have no control over.  Things that we would probably avoid at all cost if we could.  These are the things in life that will change who you are and make it where you can never go back to who you were.  They can be a blessing or a tragedy depending on how you react to them.
     Paul has warned the leaders on the ship what they would face if they continued their journey.  They probably thought he just wanted to find a way to escape or avoid what he was going to face in Rome.  No matter their reasons, they ignored his counsel.  A gentle wind suddenly turned into a horrific northeasterner (horrific storm) that drove the ship in a way that they had no control over the ship.  They just had to survive. They managed to make it to a small island to attempt to wait out the storm.
     They physically tried to hold the ship together.  They had to throw everything overboard, even the ship's tackle. For days, the storm was so intense that they could not see the sun or the stars in the sky.  They were beginning to give up all hope.  Can you empathize with how tired, cold, wet, and hungry they were?
      Paul being who he was had to throw in that they should had listened to him, but to have courage because none of them would die.  God's angel had promised Paul that he would stand before Caesar to give his testimony.  He held onto that promise as his only lifeline.  God graciously saved the lives of the sailors by running the ship aground.

Acts 27:13-26