Driven Along

Today as I spent some time in the book of Acts I was struck by a simple story. Paul in this story is currently a prisoner, and they are sailing from one shore to another, (all details can be read in Acts chapter 27, and I highly recommend you do so) but during this voyage, they are hit by a major storm, with huge winds and strong gales, waves threatening to topple the ship over.

Paul had previously warned the sailors and leaders of the voyage to not take this risk in the journey and set sail on seas that could be deadly, but being that Paul was only a prisoner, they took no heed to his warning. They really should have.

There is a verse partway through the story that really struck me and it was this:

" The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind, we GAVE WAY to it and were driven along..." vs 15

Now I realize that in this story, this verse is just documentation of fact about this event, but to me, it went a little deeper. And I started asking myself questions like these: How many times have I been warned either by a person or the Holy Spirit to not venture forward, and I do anyways? And....How many times have I then realized I should've listened, but now the force in which I am caught up in my wrong way is driving me along so strongly, I am forced to give way and be drug along in a current I am not strong enough to fight...ON MY OWN.

It goes a little something like this, it was my own bad choices that got me in this mess, but now that I am here, I realize just how helpless I am to get myself out, and I realize I was foolish to disobey God in His leading...

been there...

I always think in these type of situations, "I wish I had a Paul to stand up and warn me plane as day as these men did.." but what I fail to realize is that the Holy Spirit speaks just as loudly as Paul, and the Holy Spirit resides inside of me and the person of warning would be on the outside, so my warning is clearer...and yet, I still go my own way.

Being sensitive to the pull of the Holy Spirit is key in my going the right way, in my not getting pulled into the current, in my not setting sail.

It's usually the decision to "set sail" that tempts us the most, it may be heading out into the lake of adventure that really know we should not venture into, or the deep pools of relationships that WE KNOW are all wrong for us, or the deep ocean of passions that we chase that are contrary to what the Spirit would have for us. I have so been there.

Here is the good part though:

When we take the plunge into waters we should avoid, and sail into lakes that are simply to rough for us, (because the Lord has a better place for us to enjoy cool refreshing water) there is grace when we realize we are now being driven along, against our will, and we realize how weak we are out there on our own.

In the story of this voyage from Acts, Paul receives a word from an angel of the Lord who informs Paul that he and all the men on the ship would be saved if they stayed on the ship, and of course, our God followed through on His words to Paul. The ship landed, the ship was wrecked but the men were saved. God's glory was seen even in their failure to obey Him. And this is what happens with us as well.

When we screw up, take a swim where we should not, realize our folly and cry out for help, He ALWAYS comes to our side, and as we lean into Him for help in the midst of our chaos, we begin to respond in a way that reflects the Father rather than self and others pick up and take notice.Glory is brought the Father, and we of course, learn something huge.

We are weak on our own. Our Father in Heaven has more strength that we can even fathom, more wisdom that we can relate to and more understanding than every genius in this world combined.

And yet we think we know better. Amazing isn't it? We don't have to go our own way. We can listen to Him and obey Him and avoid being driven along. But when we do fall, when we do get caught up, He is there to rescue us with grace if only we cry out about our ignorance. I do this daily. And so I am most thankful for His grace. Aren't you?