When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. Acts 27:13
These sailors thought they had “what they wanted,” but soon found themselves in a huge storm. Likewise, we can think we have what we want only to find ourselves with a huge problem.
Paul had warned these men of the dangers of proceeding with this journey: “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also” (verse 10). But Paul was overruled.
These people weren’t the only ones in the Bible to find themselves in the middle of a storm after thinking they had found “what they wanted.” Jonah thought he had found what he wanted when he arrived at Joppa and there was a boat headed for Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). Jonah also found himself in the middle of a major storm.
The problem is our limited view. We are short-sighted and earthbound when it comes to making decisions about the future, since our decisions are based on limited information. Whereas God sees the future and is aware of the best plans for our lives so it’s wise to allow him to direct our paths.
Nevertheless, we still may find ourselves in a storm. Paul was a prisoner when he warned of the impending danger. He had no choice but to board the boat. On the other hand, Jonah willfully chose to disobey God. Yet in both cases, God was with them working for their good. Similarly, God will be with us in the storms of life, working for our good as we seek to follow his plans for our lives.
