Shipwrecked
This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck. (1 Timothy 1:18, 19 )
Have you ever had a promise or prophecy spoken over you, and you knew that you knew it was from the Lord? When God gives us a word, we happily receive it for a season and are steadfast in our belief; but often after a short time we grow weary in our belief and become shipwrecked in our faith. We begin to doubt what we heard, and whether God really said what we thought He said.
We all love prophecies and need them to bring us encouragement and hope. In fact, scripture says that prophecy is to be given for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3). In Acts 27:24, the Apostle Paul received a prophecy. When the ship carrying him to Rome encountered rough seas, an angelic messenger said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.” However, Paul’s circumstance showed no sign of this; in fact, it appeared to be the exact opposite of what God had promised!
Prophetic Action
There are always actions that come with promises and prophecies. In this case, the thing God asked Paul to do was the faith part of the action, and the thing God asked Paul not to do was the physical part of the action. The faith part was to believe that all would be saved which depended on the physical action that no one could leave the ship no matter how bad it looked. How often do we want to jump ship when things look different than we expect? Why is it that we get shipwrecked in our faith when our lives are suddenly interrupted by a change in the atmosphere? Does that really change what God is doing? Of course not. But it does appear that way at times.
Seeing With Eyes of Faith
Faith is the substance of things hoped for yet not seen (Heb. 11:1). Why must things look a certain way for God to fulfill His promises? Because we see with our natural eyes, but we serve a supernatural God! His ways are not our ways…they are higher. When the seas get rough and the winds are contrary, that is the time to strengthen our faith, and stay on course. His word is true, so we must anchor ourselves all the more when we feel afflicted by our circumstances. Affliction will never injure us or detour us when it is blended with submission.
Submission and Steadfastness
Submitting to the will of God in every circumstance, even when you don’t understand it, is powerful. It is contrary to our flesh and causes our spiritual being to grow. Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able also to perform. (Romans 4:20, 21) When God spoke to Paul on the ship to Rome saying, “You shall see Caesar;” that was a promise! Paul believed that it would be exactly as God said it would be, and we must do the same. We must hold fast until the promise is fulfilled. When the wind and sea were against them, God was still for them. The men were tempted to jump ship, but Paul stood strong in his faith and all those on board were saved because of that faith.
But the adversity is relentless. After landing on the island of Malta, as Paul gathered kindling for a fire, he was bitten by a poisonous snake. The natives leaped to the conclusion that Paul must be a murderer; as that was their belief of someone whose was bitten by this kind of snake. Why else would all of nature (the sea!…now a snake!) be so set against him? Isn’t it just like the enemy to come and speak to us about our past? After all, Paul had participated in Stephen’s murder. (Acts 8:1) The adversary will always bring doubt when it comes to the word of the Lord. Would Paul see the island of Malta and not Caesar or would he stand on the complete word of the Lord that said, “You shall see Caesar”? Ahh, not even a poisonous snake could undo Paul! He remained steadfast!
Don’t Settle for Partial Victory
Often times we settle for partial victories because we get shipwrecked in our faith. We feel defeated by the smallest set back and stop believing in the very thing that ensures our victory…God’s word. Paul never believed it would be smooth sailing, but what he did believe was that God does not lie. Paul stood in faith, warfare and good conscience…and God’s will was performed. The same is true for us today. If you have been given a promise, a prophecy, or a word from the Lord, stand in faith! When things look like they are headed in the wrong direction, God is still faithful to see you through! Remember He has made us as a shipwright makes his vessels—to weather the tempest and the storms. We must trust that the One who speaks the promise does not glory in a shipwrecked vessel. Instead, He glories in the victorious sailor who uses those promises as an everyday source of strength and comfort. Believing that He is sure to fulfill each and every one of them in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
Standing in Faith!
Rev Daina
8/29/10
Have you ever had a promise or prophecy spoken over you, and you knew that you knew it was from the Lord? When God gives us a word, we happily receive it for a season and are steadfast in our belief; but often after a short time we grow weary in our belief and become shipwrecked in our faith. We begin to doubt what we heard, and whether God really said what we thought He said.
We all love prophecies and need them to bring us encouragement and hope. In fact, scripture says that prophecy is to be given for edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Cor. 14:3). In Acts 27:24, the Apostle Paul received a prophecy. When the ship carrying him to Rome encountered rough seas, an angelic messenger said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.” However, Paul’s circumstance showed no sign of this; in fact, it appeared to be the exact opposite of what God had promised!
Prophetic Action
There are always actions that come with promises and prophecies. In this case, the thing God asked Paul to do was the faith part of the action, and the thing God asked Paul not to do was the physical part of the action. The faith part was to believe that all would be saved which depended on the physical action that no one could leave the ship no matter how bad it looked. How often do we want to jump ship when things look different than we expect? Why is it that we get shipwrecked in our faith when our lives are suddenly interrupted by a change in the atmosphere? Does that really change what God is doing? Of course not. But it does appear that way at times.
Seeing With Eyes of Faith
Faith is the substance of things hoped for yet not seen (Heb. 11:1). Why must things look a certain way for God to fulfill His promises? Because we see with our natural eyes, but we serve a supernatural God! His ways are not our ways…they are higher. When the seas get rough and the winds are contrary, that is the time to strengthen our faith, and stay on course. His word is true, so we must anchor ourselves all the more when we feel afflicted by our circumstances. Affliction will never injure us or detour us when it is blended with submission.
Submission and Steadfastness
Submitting to the will of God in every circumstance, even when you don’t understand it, is powerful. It is contrary to our flesh and causes our spiritual being to grow. Abraham did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was able also to perform. (Romans 4:20, 21) When God spoke to Paul on the ship to Rome saying, “You shall see Caesar;” that was a promise! Paul believed that it would be exactly as God said it would be, and we must do the same. We must hold fast until the promise is fulfilled. When the wind and sea were against them, God was still for them. The men were tempted to jump ship, but Paul stood strong in his faith and all those on board were saved because of that faith.
But the adversity is relentless. After landing on the island of Malta, as Paul gathered kindling for a fire, he was bitten by a poisonous snake. The natives leaped to the conclusion that Paul must be a murderer; as that was their belief of someone whose was bitten by this kind of snake. Why else would all of nature (the sea!…now a snake!) be so set against him? Isn’t it just like the enemy to come and speak to us about our past? After all, Paul had participated in Stephen’s murder. (Acts 8:1) The adversary will always bring doubt when it comes to the word of the Lord. Would Paul see the island of Malta and not Caesar or would he stand on the complete word of the Lord that said, “You shall see Caesar”? Ahh, not even a poisonous snake could undo Paul! He remained steadfast!
Don’t Settle for Partial Victory
Often times we settle for partial victories because we get shipwrecked in our faith. We feel defeated by the smallest set back and stop believing in the very thing that ensures our victory…God’s word. Paul never believed it would be smooth sailing, but what he did believe was that God does not lie. Paul stood in faith, warfare and good conscience…and God’s will was performed. The same is true for us today. If you have been given a promise, a prophecy, or a word from the Lord, stand in faith! When things look like they are headed in the wrong direction, God is still faithful to see you through! Remember He has made us as a shipwright makes his vessels—to weather the tempest and the storms. We must trust that the One who speaks the promise does not glory in a shipwrecked vessel. Instead, He glories in the victorious sailor who uses those promises as an everyday source of strength and comfort. Believing that He is sure to fulfill each and every one of them in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
Standing in Faith!
Rev Daina
8/29/10
posted by Rev. Daina House at
6:18 PM
2 Comments:
Your title of “Shipwrecked” brought quickly to mind visual, biblical images of both Paul’s New Testament experiences, Jonah’s Old Testament fate of three days in the belly of a whale as well as of secular images such as Tom Hanks in Castaway and, most especially, the superlative story of Robinson Crusoe. When you write, Rev. Daina, that “Submitting to the will of God in every circumstance, even when you don’t understand it, is powerful” is that not exactly what the apostle Paul and the fictional Robinson Crusoe were all about?
Daniel Defoe, author of Crusoe, writes on the spiritual insight of his character Robinson and makes a significant “Pauline” connection. "I began sensibly to feel how much more happy this life was {after the shipwreck}, with all its miserable circumstances, than the wicked, cursed, abominable Life I led all the past part of my days." In the words of Philip Zaleski, author of The Recollected Heart, “Robinson's life comes full circle when he rescues a boatload of Englishmen; the grateful mariners see in their deliverer not a Job afflicted by God's cruel whims, but a divine messenger: ‘He must be sent directly from heaven,’ says one, echoing what the Maltese said about Paul, another victim of shipwreck, to which Robinson replies with the humility of the truly converted, ‘All help is from Heaven.’” As you say, Rev. Daina, we mistakenly seek or are satisfied with partial victories. Paul in real life, and Crusoe in fiction stood in faith and persevered, despite the shipwrecks in their lives. - Bob B.
A GOOD AND TIMELY WORD AS MANY ARE ON THE SHIP OF TRANSITION AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU
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