Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / February 27 - Steady in the Storm
Transcript
- 0:02Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
- 0:06rooted in Scripture and relevant for today.
- 0:10February 27th. Steady in the storm.
- 0:14Have you ever had a moment where everything felt fine one second,
- 0:16and then suddenly it was like life gave you a gentle breeze?
- 0:21You thought you were on the right course.
- 0:22And then, without warning, the storm hit.
- 0:25Stress piled up, Plans fell apart, fear crept in, and you
- 0:30wondered how you even got here. Those moments can make you feel
- 0:33powerless, like you're just trying to survive the waves.
- 0:36That's exactly what happens in Acts chapter 27.
- 0:41The journey starts calmly. Acts chapter 27 verse 13 tells
- 0:45us that a gentle S wind began to blow and the crew thought they
- 0:48had what they wanted. It looked safe, it felt right.
- 0:53But what they couldn't see was the storm forming ahead.
- 0:56Before long, the sea turned violent, the ship was battered
- 0:59and panic set in. They were throwing cargo
- 1:02overboard and doing everything they could just to stay afloat.
- 1:06In the middle of that chaos, something powerful happens.
- 1:10Acts chapter 27 verse 29 says that fearing they would run
- 1:14aground on the rocks, they dropped 4 anchors from the stern
- 1:17and prayed for day to come. Think about that image.
- 1:20Waves crashing, darkness all around, no clear direction, and
- 1:26yet they anchor themselves and pray.
- 1:28They couldn't stop the storm, but they could stop the drift.
- 1:31Proverbs Chapter 11 verse 14 speaks directly into moments
- 1:35like this where there is no guidance a people falls, but in
- 1:40an abundance of counselors there is safety.
- 1:43Storms are dangerous, but storms without guidance are even worse.
- 1:46When fear hits, isolation tempts us.
- 1:50We pull back. We stop asking for help.
- 1:52We try to figure everything out alone.
- 1:55But God never designed us to weather storms that way.
- 1:58Anchors matter. Guidance matters.
- 2:00Community matters. God gives us anchors for our
- 2:03faith so we don't get swept away.
- 2:06Prayer anchors us when anxiety rises.
- 2:08Scripture anchors us when emotions lie.
- 2:11Godly voices anchor us when confusion clouds our judgement.
- 2:15These anchors don't remove the storm, but they keep us steady
- 2:18until the light comes. And notice this.
- 2:21They prayed for day. They believed darkness wasn't
- 2:23permanent. They trusted that light would
- 2:26return. That's faith in the storm.
- 2:29Not pretending everything is fine, but choosing to trust God
- 2:32while you wait for clarity. Maybe you're in a storm right
- 2:35now. Maybe things looked calm at
- 2:38first, but now you're overwhelmed and unsure.
- 2:40What's next? Hear this truth.
- 2:42You don't have to drift. Drop your anchors, reach out,
- 2:45pray honestly, hold tight to what God has already given you.
- 2:50The storm is not the end of your story, and the night will not
- 2:53last forever. God is still in control of the
- 2:55wind, the waves, and the timing of the dawn.
- 2:59Stay anchored, stay connected, and trust that daylight is
- 3:02coming. Let's pray.
- 3:04Heavenly Father, thank you for being my anchor.
- 3:06When life feels out of control, when storms hit and fear rises,
- 3:11help me not to drift, but to hold tightly to You.
- 3:14Lead me to wise counsel, steady my heart through prayer, and
- 3:17remind me of your promises. When the night feels long, bring
- 3:21your light into every place where I feel overwhelmed or
- 3:24uncertain. I trust you to carry me through
- 3:26and to bring the morning in. Jesus name Amen.
- 3:31What if the way you pray changed because you truly knew who God
- 3:34is? The Supreme God Part 1 is an 8
- 3:37book devotional and prayer journey that unveils the power,
- 3:40presence and glory of God through his biblical names.
- 3:44In Elohim you encounter God, the mighty Creator who forms and
- 3:48sustains all things. Yahweh draws you into
- 3:51relationship with the eternal I AM who is present and faithful.
- 3:55Adonai calls you to surrender to the Lord and Master who leads
- 3:58and directs your steps. El Elian reveals the God Most
- 4:02High, exalted above every power and authority.
- 4:05El Shaddai introduces the all sufficient God who nourishes and
- 4:09strengthens you. El Olam anchors your faith in
- 4:12the everlasting God whose purposes never fail.
- 4:15Elroy assures you that you are seen, known, and cared for by a
- 4:19compassionate father. And El Gabor awakens confidence
- 4:23in the mighty God who defends, delivers, and prevails.
- 4:26Through scripture, devotional insight, and prophetic prayer
- 4:29scripts, this series teaches you to pray from revelation, worship
- 4:32with understanding, and walk boldly in God's character.
- 4:36If you're ready to elevate your prayer life and rediscover the
- 4:38God you serve, order the Supreme God Part One on Amazon today or
- 4:43visit prayerscripts.org to begin your.
- 4:45Journey Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's
- 4:49three-year Bible reading plan. Proverbs Chapter 11, Verses 14
- 4:54to 15 World English Bible Where there is no wise guidance, the
- 4:59nation falls, But in the multitude of counselors there is
- 5:02victory. He who is collateral for a
- 5:04stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of
- 5:07collateral is secure. Acts Chapter 27 World English
- 5:12Bible When it was determined that we should sail for Italy,
- 5:15they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion
- 5:18named Julius of the Augustan Band.
- 5:21Embarking in a ship of a Dramidium, which was about to
- 5:24sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea Aristarchus,
- 5:28a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.
- 5:31The next day we touched at Sidon.
- 5:33Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his
- 5:37friends and refresh himself. Putting to sea from there we
- 5:41sailed under the Lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
- 5:44When we had sailed across the sea, which is off Silicia and
- 5:47Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lysia.
- 5:50There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy,
- 5:54and he put us on board. When we had sailed slowly many
- 5:57days, and had come with difficulty opposite Scenitus,
- 6:01the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the Lee
- 6:04of Crete, opposite Salmon, with difficulty sailing along it.
- 6:07We came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the
- 6:11city of Lacia. When much time had passed, and
- 6:13the voyage was now dangerous, because the fast had now already
- 6:16gone by, Paul admonished them and said to them, Sirs, I
- 6:20perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not
- 6:23only of the cargo in the ship, but also of our lives.
- 6:27But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner
- 6:30of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by
- 6:32Paul. Because the haven was not
- 6:34suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea
- 6:37from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter
- 6:41there, which is a port of Crete looking southwest and northwest.
- 6:45When the South wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained
- 6:48their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete
- 6:52close to shore. But before long a stormy wind
- 6:55beat down from shore, which is called Euro Clinton.
- 6:58When the ship was caught and couldn't face the wind, we gave
- 7:01way to it and we're driven along.
- 7:03Running under the Lee of a small island called Clada, we were
- 7:06able with difficulty to secure the boat.
- 7:09After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help
- 7:12reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run
- 7:14aground on the sea sandbars, they lowered the sea anchor and
- 7:18so were driven along as we labored exceedingly with the
- 7:21storm. The next day they began to throw
- 7:24things overboard. On the third day they threw out
- 7:26the ship's tackle with their own hands.
- 7:29When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no
- 7:32small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was
- 7:36now taken away. When they had been long without
- 7:38food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, Sirs,
- 7:42you should have listened to me and not have set sail from
- 7:44Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.
- 7:47Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of
- 7:50life among you, but only of the ship.
- 7:52For there stood by me this night an Angel belonging to the God
- 7:56whose I am and whom I serve, saying, Don't be afraid, Paul,
- 8:00you must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all
- 8:03those who sail with you. Therefore, sirs, cheer up, for I
- 8:07believe God that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.
- 8:10But we must run aground on a certain island.
- 8:13But when the 14th night had come, as we were driven back and
- 8:16forth in the Adriatic Sea about midnight, the sailors surmised
- 8:20that they were drawing near to some land.
- 8:22They took soundings and found 20 fathoms.
- 8:25After a little while they took soundings again and found 15
- 8:28fathoms. Fearing that we would run a
- 8:31ground on rocky ground, they let go 4 anchors from the stern and
- 8:34wished for daylight. As the sailors were trying to
- 8:37flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea,
- 8:40pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, Paul
- 8:43said to the centurion and to the soldiers, unless these stay in
- 8:47the ship, you can't be saved. Then the soldiers cut away the
- 8:50ropes of the boat and let it fall off.
- 8:53While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take
- 8:55some food, saying Today is the 14th day that you wait and
- 8:59continue fasting, having taken nothing.
- 9:02Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your
- 9:05safety, for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.
- 9:09When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to
- 9:12God in the presence of all. Then he broke it and began to
- 9:15eat. Then they all cheered up, and
- 9:17they also took food. In all we were 276 souls on the
- 9:21ship. When they had eaten enough, they
- 9:23lighten the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
- 9:26When it was day they didn't recognize the land, but they
- 9:29noticed a certain Bay with a beach and they decided to try to
- 9:32drive the ship onto it. Casting off the anchors, they
- 9:35left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder
- 9:38ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the
- 9:40wind, they made for the beach, but coming to a place where two
- 9:44seas met, they ran the vessel aground.
- 9:47The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began
- 9:50to break up by the violence of the waves.
- 9:52The soldiers council was to kill the prisoners so that none of
- 9:56them would swim out and escape, but the centurion, desiring to
- 10:00save Paul, stopped them from their purpose and commanded that
- 10:03those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first
- 10:06to go toward the land and the rest should follow, some on
- 10:09planks and some on other things from the ship, so they all
- 10:12escaped safely to the land. Thanks for joining us on Bible
- 10:17Chat, where Scripture meets everyday life.
- 10:20If today's devotional encouraged you, share it with a friend and
- 10:24be sure to follow the podcast so you won't miss the next
- 10:27conversation. Until next time, stay rooted in
- 10:30truth, anchored in hope, and walking daily with Jesus.