pIn Acts, we read about Paul being a prisoner on board a ship headed to Rome. At a stop on the journey, God spoke to Paul and asked him to do something incredibly brave: talk to the crew on board the ship and tell them not to leave the harbour because there was going to be a terrible storm (remember, Paul was their prisoner, so he knew the crew wouldn’t listen to him). Paul told them, and the crew ignored him, so off they go into the heart of this storm and (surprise surprise) they ended up shipwrecked. We can learn something both from Paul and from the crew here: Paul didn’t know what was coming, he didn’t know what would happen if he listened to God. The crew could’ve done anything; he was completely at their mercy. However, he listened to God and this lead him to a place where he was able to minister to his captors. In verse 22 Paul says, ‘Keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed’ (NIV). Paul could’ve lost hope when the crew ignored him, but instead he waited on God as He continued to move in the situation. Psalm 37:34 says, ‘Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you’ (ESV). God revealed Himself to the crew through Paul’s obedience, despite the fact that Paul didn’t know what was coming or what to expect. /p
pWhat Now?br /
It’s really difficult to wait on God when we can’t see what’s coming next, and Paul was probably just as scared as you are, but take action. Pray lots, then go with what you think God’s saying to you. Watch Him guide you./p