We recently experienced windy weather, storms, and a tornado warning. The power was out, so we lit candles and turned on flashlights. Mom did not understand, so she felt anxious. She squirmed in her chair and said, “What am I going to do?” I tried to explain that the electricity was out and we had no lights because it was storming. After a few attempts, she seemed calmer, though we were still in the dark due to the storm.

I suppose the men traveling with the Apostle Paul to Rome didn’t understand either. Paul warned of impending weather, but the captain set sail from Fair Havens. Smooth sailing changed as a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon blew strong winds, wreaking havoc. The men aboard undergirded the ship, lightened the load, and cast off the tackling. Neither the sun nor the stars shone for many days, and all hope of being saved was lost. They sailed in utter darkness. 

The Apostle Paul took a long absence and returned with a message of hope.

     “….Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and have gained this harm and       loss. And not I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of          the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve. Saying, Fear not,       Paul; thou must be brought before Ceasar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.                       Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer; for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must         be cast upon a certain island.” Acts 27:21b-26

Paul’s message of hope edified the journeymen. He reassured them all would be well and encouraged them to eat. They were all of good cheer and better prepared for the tough time ahead. The ship wrecked, but all made it safely to the island by swimming or floating on broken pieces of the boat. They all escaped safely. Paul received God’s understanding and passed it on to all the men aboard. cheer,

I understood our stormy situation and shared the news with Mom, who could not discern. Paul did the same for the men around Him. But sometimes, we don’t understand how to navigate the storm. Our Mom has dementia, our loved one passed away, we’ve lost our job, our child is terminally ill, or our marriage is in shambles, and we live in total darkness.  Perhaps we can be like Paul and abstain from the storm long enough to hear from our Savior. We often obtain understanding through prayer and reading God’s word. 

But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth then understanding.

Job 32:8