July 23, 2020
Surrender Your Excess, For His
Acts 27:13-26
Honesty Sumler
Central Truth
Trusting God's guidance will always prove more profitable than relying on logic and well-intended counsel.
Key Verse | Acts 27: 23-24
"For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul . . . .'"
Acts 27:13-26
The Storm at Sea
13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, 1 27:16 Some manuscripts Clauda we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, 2 27:17 That is, the sea-anchor (or possibly the mainsail) and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And 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 no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
Dive Deeper | Acts 27:13-26
While Paul had advised his shipmates in Acts 27:10 that he anticipated harm would befall them if they sailed on from Crete, they elected to trust in logic rather than God’s guidance through Paul: Fair Havens was not safe to winter in, but Phoenix was (Acts 27:12). So, they sailed on. But as God would have it, disaster ensued. They had to rid themselves of everything excess, and they began to lose hope. But God had a plan. And His plans are always best (Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 55:9).
Quickly after I joined Watermark and got plugged into a community group, my faith began to grow immensely. In that process, God put a clear calling on my heart for foster care/adoption. I knew it was from Him, because in my selfishness I would not have independently elected to become a single parent to someone else's child. But God had a different plan for me, one that would move me from selfishness to service.
Like Paul and his shipmates, a choice had to be made: to go my own way or be guided by God. And, like the shipmates, for a period of time, I, too, elected to ignore the promptings from the Spirit and, instead, listened to logic and well-intended counsel from others. But as Proverbs 16:9 says, "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Just as He did for Paul and his shipmates, God redirected my path. In caring for children from hard places, He ridded me of excess time, money, and resources. And in exchange, I received an overabundance of peace and joy (Philippians 4:9). Although the people on the ship also endured purging, their lives were spared, and they, too, had the privilege of experiencing the power and peace of God.
God's ultimate goal for His children is that we would hear His voice, heed His call, and develop the habits of spending time with Him and making Him known to others (Psalm 105:1). Will you join the journey with me? Surrender your excess for His.
Discussion Questions
1. Joshua 1:9 assures us that God is with us wherever we go and encourages us to remain courageous, rather than anxious or scared. Does this verse give you comfort when all hope seems lost?
2. When God alters the direction of your life, do you tend to oblige readily or oppose subtly? Explain. Ask yourself if you really trust in Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Do you live like you love God? What does it mean to be "called according to his purpose"?
3. Proverbs 3:5-6 implores us to lean not on our own understanding, but to trust in Him fully and acknowledge Him in all we do. If we do, He will make our paths straight. How can you avoid the temptation of doing what seems logical over trusting God's seemingly illogical direction?
4. Think of a time when God brought you through a trying circumstance even stronger than you were before. How can you use your experience to encourage someone today?