Listening

10.27.13

Acts 27.25-26 25 "So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.” (ESV)

I wonder if men then were like men now: superstitious, skeptical, cautious, suspicious; I wonder what they thought of this man who stood before them and said, "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.”  I wonder what they thought of what he said. I wonder if they remembered he had told them, “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.” (Acts 27.10) I wonder.

And Paul (who said all these things) also told them: “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 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.’” (Vv. 21-24). Everyone hates being told: I told you so!

Today, I sat in our church gathering and listened to what my Pastor said. Today, I read my Bible and read the words Paul said. And I gleaned this: when God speaks, it will happen exactly as it is spoken. The question is: am I listening?

Paul was given some inside information that was essentially two-fold: 1. God says: If we’re patient, we’ll get there soon enough with all of the cargo and passengers intact. Now isn’t a good time to set sail. 2. “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.” God said it, and it will come to pass.

The lives were saved but the cargo and the ship were lost. Hmmmm.

For me it may be about adjusting my hearing. For me it might be adjusting my faith. For me it just might be a shipwreck and loss of cargo. More than anything I think it’s about listening and obeying and walking in God’s wisdom, not my own.

Father, today, I think I heard You say: Paul, listen to Me! I think I heard You say: Give Me all of your ambitions, hopes, and plans; I’m to surrender these into Your (capable) hands. Today, I think I heard You say: My miracles happen when you have a need Paul and as long as you keep trying to figure this thing out on your own, you don’t need My miracles. Father, I’m tired of my way and sailing when I shouldn’t. Help me to hear. Help me to be patient. And help me to trust. I pray to You because You listen. Amen.