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Encouraging Men Along Life's Journey January 28, 2013
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God In The Marketplace
GETTING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES - The Calm
"i am feeble and utterly crushed. I groan in anguish of heart." Psalm 38: 8
We never feel so alone as when we are broken hearted. Our dreams for our business have been swept overboard to be crushed by heavy waves pounding them against the rocks in the sea. There seems to be nothing left to hope for and the bank account is empty. Mondays come and give us opportunity to tend to the ship for a few hours, but then comes the afternoon. With nothing to occupy our time, our minds drift in anguish and depression. Our tendency sometimes is to turn from God. We just don't have the energy, nor the mindset to go to God. We are all alone, drifting aimlessly, waiting for our ship to crash on the rocks in utter destruction.
At the end of Paul's journey aboard the ship, he and the other men find themselves in a similar situation. Paul had some on board who tried to abandon the ship in an attempt to save their lives at the cost of all others on board. It was a case of everyone for himself. But Paul was able to use his leadership to bring unity among all the people on board.
Paul took the steps to encourage the men and to assure them that all would be safe. He then persuaded them to eat in an effort to restore calm on board. It is amazing sometimes that some of the necessary things are the ones we most often ignore in the havoc of a crisis. It is not only that we remain calm, but also that we go about life as normal. Panic and making decisions on impulse are two key elements that add to a crisis. I can see the ship and the men on board. The sea is tossing the ship in every direction. The men on board are sitting around enjoying a good meal for the first time in many days. Suddenly the storm is somewhere lost in the back of their minds.
In the mist of that calm, Paul leads them in prayer. Peace fills their hearts. Strength floods their bodies giving them courage for the next decision. God wants to be with us during our storm. He knows what it is like to suffer. We sometimes assume that God won't help, or that He can't. As odd as it may be, times of crisis are times we can draw closer to God and offer our thanks and praise. It indicates not only our dependence on Him, but also, our expectation that He will hold our best interest in His heart.
I would hope in the mist of all our storms in life, even those with hurricane winds, that we would be able to sail our ship successfully through those storms. With courage, determination, and a good dose of God's wisdom and blessings, we survive with the ship in tact. The sky turns blue and the sea is calm
Sometimes it may become evident that our ship is not going to make it. We don't know why, but somethings just don't work out like we hope. We see unfamiliar land ahead, land that we have never set foot on, but it is the only land in sight. We get rid of any remaining cargo that may hinder us from reaching this strange shore. With confidence in God, we let go of our anchors and land on this unfamiliar island. As we do, all that remains of the ship is broken and scattered pieces. We, and all with us, have survived. We suddenly are hit with the realization that all that was lost were things of the temporal world. We still hold to the things that have an eternal reward
We are standing on strange ground, ground that gives us the opportunity to start over or maybe to try something different. It is a new day, and God still has a plan for our life. We feel His presence. Our waiting for God to lead us allows our minds to once again be free and to explore the Ideas and possibilities that flood our minds. Excitement once again enters our life. It's tough, we are on strange ground. It is not what we had planned, but we know God is in control and His plan will be accomplished. (Acts 27: 33- 44)
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