The Storm.

It has been completely my fault that the blog has gone MIA the past few weeks with adapting to the new university lifestyle, managing and tunnelling through the never ending tons of work, but the past few days i've been telling myself to get back to this, and I'm back ! i'll try my best to stay updated regularly, whether if its everyday or a few times a week. What really sparked me to get blogging again was last night when i was flipping through my Bible, and Acts 27:13-26 came along.

Before i get to the passage, i want to talk about faith in university. I can definitely tell that this is the biggest test of faith i've encountered, and that first year will shake my faith. Its up to me and only me to keep myself grounded and on track. The past few weeks, i could literally feel my faith be taken apart by the influences that surround me, and my attempts to piece it together before it falls apart all over again.

So when I got to this verse, it really spoke to me. Acts 27:13-26 says

¹³ When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. ¹⁴ Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. ¹⁵ The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶ As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, ¹⁷ so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. ¹⁸ We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. ¹⁹ On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. ²⁰ When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
²¹ After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. ²² But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. ²³ Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me ²⁴ and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ ²⁵ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. ²⁶ Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

Reading through it, i could really relate and see my life stuck in a storm as well. For instance, in verse 15, any ship has a destination, and when storms come and winds hit, it will try its best to force its way through and fight it to avoid detouring and wasting time. Well ships back then didn't have all the technologies, and would eventually give way if it wasn't strong enough to fight it. And similarly with the winds of temptation, because we as humans are we, we can easily give in and lose to the storm.

Throwing cargo overboard (v. 18). Many times when under the struggles and pressures of life, we tend to give things up for ourselves, whether if its out of selfish ambition or otherwise, we do whatever we can to get what we want, if its going against a friend, cheating, anything to get us through. Sometimes we become so desperate to escape the storm, we can give up anything.

"Only the ship will be destroyed." When i read this, i realized that there are two parts, the ship as a structure, and the men on it as well. I think i interpreted it as the ship as our life, physically. Our lives will be hit by strong winds and mighty waves, but that will break our lives, but not our souls and our spirits. Our flesh may fail but our God never will. Its extremely important to stay grounded spiritually.

So keep up your courage and have faith in God. God keeps his promises, he won't let us go and he loves us each and every day. Don't let the storm scare you, don't let the waves choke you up, and don't like the lightning strike you. If God is for us, what can stop us?

verse of the day: Acts 27:25

²⁵ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.