IN STORMS HOLD FAST TO HIS WORD!

IN STORMS HOLD FAST TO HIS WORD!

 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. —Acts 27:20

             All that God had done in Paul’s life- all that our Lord had said to Paul- all the promises that were made to Paul by our Lord were forgotten in the midst of a tumultuous storm.  When “no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”  Did you hear that?  They lost all hope of being saved even though in Acts 23:11 our Lord told Paul that he must testify about Him in Rome.  When we are in the midst of storms, trials, tribulations or tough times of any sort we may doubt, forget what God’s Word has said and become hopeless.  Paul and his companions were not the only ones who felt like this.

            In Matthew 11:2-6 we read—

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”  Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

            John was doubting that Jesus was the One that was to come as he was languishing in that prison.  Yes, John was in the midst of a storm that he had not expected to be in as the forerunner of the Messiah.  In that storm he lost hope that Jesus was the one that was to come.  Again, all that God had done in John’s life, all our Lord had said to John, all the promises of our Lord said to John— were forgotten in the storm.

            How about us when we are going through a storm?  Do we forget what God’s Word says?  Both Paul and his companions and John lost hope in the storm.  It was not until the Word of God was shared with them did they regain hope and were encouraged.  An angel of God brought God’s Word to Paul (Acts 27:23-24) and Jesus had sent Word back to John.  It was when they heard the Word that they regained focus.  Yes, let us depend on the Word of God when we are in a storm. Storms, trials, tribulations or tough times of any sort have the tendency to have us focus on them and away for God’s Word.  Hold to His Word— the anchor and refuge in times of storms and at all times!  So today whatever storm you may be in or may come upon you—hold fast to His Word. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgpaULjZOl8