"I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For last night there stood by 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 the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we will have to run aground on some island..."
And so it was that all were brought safely to land." (Acts 27:22-26, 44 NRSV)
Observation: The ship was destroyed and the people were spared... The structure became shambles, and the people became stronger in their faith. This is the reality of God's deliverance:
"See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:25-29 NRSV)
God shakes us... He shakes out the chaff. He shakes out the fluff. He shakes out all that is trite and trivial. I am reminded of the words of Rich Mullins song:
Home
Rich Mullins
I see the morning moving over the hills
I can see the shadows on the western side
And all those illusions that I had
They just vanish in Your light
I can feel the warmth of morning on my face
Though the chill in the night still hangs in the air
Though the storm had tossed me
'Til I thought I'd nearly lost my way
And now the night is fading and the storm is past
And everything that could be shaken was shaken
And all that remains is all I ever really had
What I'd have settled for
You've blown so far away
What You brought me to
I thought I could not reach
And I came so close to giving up
But You never did give up on me
I see the morning moving over the hills
I feel the rush of life here where the darkness broke
And I am in You and You're in me
Here where the winds of Heaven blow
And now the night is fading
And the storm is through
And everything You sent to shake me
From my dreams they come to wake me
In the love I find in You
And now the morning comes
And everything that really matters
Become the wings You send to gather me
To my home
To my home
I'm going home
Prayer: O to be shaken by You Almighty God... To be tossed in the fury of Your grace and stirred up in the storms of Your love. O to be stripped of all that is unnecessary and unneeded, to be naked before You and covered with Your righteousness. This is the cry of my heart; the cry of this generation. We are not looking to institutions for salvation, we are not looking to doctrines, we are looking to You, the Word who became flesh. We are looking to You the One True God who spoke to the apostle Paul saying, the ship will sink but the soldiers, saints, and scoundrels will survive. The answer is not the wisdom of men or the work of their hands. The answer is not the sailor's skill, nor the ships sail, the answer is Your almighty power of our Lord Jesus. You are the one who will bring us through. For we are His church....
The church is not a structure, building, or institution. The church is not a program. The church is Your body and bride. The church is made up of rich and poor, slave and free, week and strong... the church is people who have yielded to You and been shaken by Your power.
Lord, You have said: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isa. 43:2.
God, You have a church upon the earth, who are Your chosen people, who keep Your commandments. You are leading us, not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but You are leading a people, Your People.
There is no need to doubt, to be fearful that the work will not succeed. God, You are at the head of the work, and You will set everything in order. If matters need adjusting at the head of the work, You will attend to that, and work to right every wrong. Give us faith Lord God that You will carry the noble ship which bears Your people safely into port.
Lord, Your servant has given us the following testimony:
When I voyaged from Portland, Maine, to Boston, many years ago, a storm came upon us, and the great waves dashed us to and fro. The chandeliers fell, and the trunks were rolled from side to side, like balls. The passengers were frightened, and many were screaming, waiting in expectation of death. {FLB 282.4}
After a while the pilot came on board. The captain stood near the pilot as he took the wheel, and expressed fear about the course in which the ship was directed. "Will you take the wheel?" asked the pilot. The captain was not ready to do that, for he knew that he lacked experience. Then some of the passengers grew uneasy, and said they feared the pilot would dash them upon the rocks. "Will you take the wheel?" asked the pilot; but they knew that they could not manage the wheel. {FLB 282.5}
When you think that the work is in danger, pray, "Lord stand at the wheel. Carry us through the perplexity. Bring us safely into port." Have we not reason to believe that the Lord will bring us through triumphantly? . . . {FLB 282.6}
You cannot with your finite minds understand the working of all the providences of God. Let God take care of His own work. The Faith I Live By, Ellen White.
Yes Lord, take care of Your work. Complete the work You have begun in us as a people. Complete the work You have begun in me. We are leaning on Your promise: "The one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6 NRSV)
