pPaul’s voyage didn’t get any better. ‘We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard.’ In the sailors’ panic, they started chucking overboard the things they needed most (check Acts 27:18-19). Their cargo. The ship’s tackle, that would’ve kept the ship stable. Their food. And then finally, themselves - as a last-ditch measure they just went ‘stuff it’ and dived headfirst into the sea. When we find ourselves in crisis-mode, we’re tempted to ditch what we need most. We give up on dreams. Or on values we learned as children. We run out on relationships. We can want to chuck it all. Centuries before Paul found himself in a boat with his stressed sailor friends, a man called Joshua told God’s people, ‘But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now’ (Joshua 23:8 NIV). Paul did that as everyone around him lost their heads. In a situation where there’d be real, deadly consequences if God didn’t come through, Paul tightened his grip on God’s promises, instead of going back on them. So when you read famous Paul quotes about standing firm (1 Corinthians 15:58 and Philippians 1:27 are what we’re talking here), think back to this story - the guy had lived this out in real life. And because our God’s just as real today as He was back then, so can you./p
pWhat now?br /
Inventory time. What’s God given you that you don’t want to lose? Think values, close relationships, and dreams. Write them down somewhere that you can return to when a crisis hits you./p