The greatest storm is for our blessing

From: February 5 – 11, 2008

Pastor: Edith Cruz

Study: # 528 TOPIC: “The greatest storm is for our blessing” Acts 27: 13 – 44

It is an advantage for some who are used to complain so that they can gain on their favor. We must learn from the Bible that we must not complain. When we came to the Lord we began to live our lives depending on God completely. Nevertheless, sometimes we want to have blessings without struggling. If we do not struggle we will have nothing on our side. If we are a church that struggles we will see many great things. The more we listen and read the Word of God the more we will conquer and it will be for our well-being. After every struggle in life there is a blessing, because each battle is to conquer. Battles do not come to kill us, but a resort to reach territory. God has many promises for us in Heaven and every time we struggle He allows us to receive them. Heaven is filled with blessings for our lives, but it depends on us if we throw ourselves to die or we stand up and fight in order to obtain them. Paul understood that it wasn’t wise to enter that ship when he felt the breeze. As a leader we can smell what is coming because God does not have secrets for us. Those men thought that the breeze was favorable for them to pull away the ship, but it was a great storm that was about to come. Paul went as a prisoner. Under these circumstances God was dealing with Paul in a very personal way. God marks the times for each one of us. God had sent Paul to struggle for Rome. Historians think that no one could ever imagine that a man who was taken in chains could conquer such a powerful nation. Paul began to struggle for Rome. Those who are called by God have no need to fear in life when things are happening around us, what is important is for God to see that we are useful. Paul was a very courageous man for God and with great faith. Sometimes we lack of courage because we lack of faith. Paul was a very useful man even though he was with chains, and this could have been a very good excuse for him, but he had to get on that ship and go step by step to get to that island. We must also go step by step. When we do not go step by step we will always live with gaps, but when we go through each step, each step will begin to form us. What we overlook, when the storm comes we will not know what to do. When we walk step by step the angel of the Lord will come to deliver us. Those who are called are not called for a party but for a great struggle. Those who reach a difficult place are not interested in exhibitions. Jesus was not interested in being known to exhibit Himself and neither did Paul. The more hidden we remain with God the more He will use us. All those who know that there are many steps to take and many situations we must live through, know that we must seek God. In all the processes of our lives we will show if God is with us or not. We must see what we have to confront and what we have to live through. The great storms can not destroy us. The devil would like to see the church thrown to the ground, but we are in great struggles. The enemies who wish to see us dead will not be able to kill us because God has our days counted. The angel of the Lord is upon those who love Him and He delivers them from everything. Amen.

When we stop trusting God here is where we begin to complain and it becomes difficult to exercise our faith. God is powerful. He is who will do. The great storm that came over Paul and the danger of the sea wanted to swallow him and it began to hit him very hard. God will not permit anyone to touch our souls and spirits because they belong to Him. We must become attached to our souls through the Holy Spirit because this is the one that will allow our physical body to resurrect one day. We can suffer and go through many great storms and it is logical for us to take measures to survive because the demons and the storms come to destroy us. Paul seeked for God’s face and this was his way of surviving. The men and women of God must know that in the midst of great dangers we must take measures in order to not perish, and these are prayer, fasting and reading the Word of God. The more we know it the more we will be able to sustain ourselves. The ship needed to be light in order to be able to get out of the storm. If our minds are light, as we seek God it will give a good message to our feet so that we will be able to walk. When we are in great dangers we take measures not from our astuteness, but in prayer and the Holy Spirit will guide our lives. There are things we must remove from our lives because they interrupt the path we must take, because we must know that in a certain moment the fierce battle will begin and we will be tested. The life of the righteous belongs to God. God will let us see that in the midst of our storms He takes charge of our days, and then we must rest in fasting, prayer and in His Word. But the problem is that in the midst of our storm these are the things that we do less. We could die if God doesn’t come on our behalf and our advantage is that God is in our storm. For those men there was no hope, but for Paul the Heavenly God was with him. When there is no hope, and the lashes of the sea want to imprison us with its power, there is a God who will come on our behalf. Paul’s defense was his security and confidence in God as he struggled so that the ship would not perish. All the others in the ship were preserved. When the strong storm burst forth Paul’s greatness was recognized among all those who were in the ship. In the midst of the storm we will show what we are, our character to struggle will show in the midst of the storm. Paul’s character, his person, his convictions were shown outside. Paul was able to see. The more we struggle the more we will shine, because our character will be manifested. Paul made the decisions, gave orders. We must understand that our path is to complete the will of God in spite of all the storms. Paul could have complained, but he didn’t, instead he looked for branches to warm himself from the cold. God brought Paul relief. When we see God’s will we must implant it, but when we complain we don’t do His will. Complaints and regrets are not for the righteous. We must struggle with the faith and passion of Paul. Amen.