This morning, I was finishing up the book of Acts in my Bible reading schedule. (Isn't Acts an awesome book??) A few lines stuck out to me...
"Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day."
Thought: Sometimes, in life, all you can do is simply cast out an anchor and just wish for the day.
Some circumstances in life seem to be endless "nights". Darkness in your soul. It may seem all you can do is just wish for day to come back.
It will! Don't give up hope! Put that anchor of life in Christ.
"Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved."
Thought: You can't be "saved" unless you stay in the ship.
Having marriage problems? Stay in that marriage. Your marriage can't be saved unless you stick with it. Don't bail. Don't opt out.
Feeling lost and without direction in your life? My husband often refers to it as "trying to find yourself". Stay in church. Stay under the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.
Under financial hardship? Debts piled up? All hope seems lost? Stay in the ship. Seek guidance to put you on the right path. I suggest the Dave Ramsey - Financial Peace University course. You can do it if you stay in the ship!
"And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea..."
Thought: Dive into the sea of life!
They knew that if they were to get out of this predicament - they had to take a chance and go for it.
Sometimes, you have to dive into the unknown.
Sometimes, you have to go through the storm before you reach the destination.
Don't ask God to take away the storms of life. Ask Him to go through them with you.
What storm in your life are you facing today? A lost spouse? Unfaithfulness in your marriage? Lies and slander being said about you?
You will get through the storms...with Christ...but only if you dive into the storm.
Let go of the anchors that you have placed to try to make it and let God guide your ship of life!
"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."
Thought: They all escaped...SAFE.
Amen! Notice how they all escaped safely? Some on boards and some on broken pieces. You may feel as though at the end..."I survived". Barely. But I survived.
Some situations may feel like that. A marriage almost ending in divorce. Finances almost ending in bankruptcy. Health...maybe cancer...making it through all the treatments that have left you almost feeling dead.
You may have barely made it. BUT YOU MADE IT! You are safe on land.
Now start on that new journey. God has brought you through your storm.
Learn from it. Never forget it. And thank Him for it.
"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall." Isaiah 25:4
I love the book of Acts as well. Marriage can be difficult sometimes. We should always do our best to make it work. However, if a woman or her children are being abused they need to get away to a safe place.
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