Don’t you just hate hearing those words! They generally come when you’ve made a mistake and the person saying them tried to warn you about the outcome but you didn’t listen.
A few days ago I was reading about the Apostle Paul and some words of advice or warning that he gave to a ship’s captain. He told the captain not to set sail but his words of advice were ignored.
“Men, I can see that there will be a lot of trouble on this trip. The ship, everything in it, and even our lives may be lost!” 11 But the captain and the owner of the ship did not agree with Paul. So the army officer accepted what they said instead of believing Paul.” Acts 27:10-11 ERV
So they sailed on. Paul had no choice, he was a prisoner and was being escorted to Rome. Shortly after they set sail they ran into a terrible storm. The storm was so severe that the crew began to throw things overboard. They went days without seeing the sun or the stars. There was no way to navigate. They had lost their bearings but worse than that, they had lost all hope!
Hopeless!
“For many days we could not see the sun or the stars. The storm was very bad. We lost all hope of staying alive—we thought we would die.” Acts 27:20 ERV
And that’s when Paul stood up and said “I told you so”.
“The men did not eat for a long time. Then one day Paul stood up before them and said, “Men, I told you not to leave Crete. You should have listened to me. Then you would not have all this trouble and loss. 22 But now I tell you to be happy. None of you will die, but the ship will be lost. 23 Last night an angel came to me from God—the God I worship and belong to. 24 The angel said, ‘Paul, don’t be afraid! You must stand before Caesar. And God has given you this promise: He will save the lives of all those sailing with you.’ 25 So men, there is nothing to worry about. I trust God, and I am sure everything will happen just as his angel told me. 26 But we will crash on an island.” Acts 27:21-26 ERV
Kind of a good news/bad news situation. We will be saved but we will crash. Wouldn’t you love to have Paul as your traveling companion? (I say that tongue in cheek)
But here is the good news. Paul got a message from the Lord for all on the ship. Don’t be afraid – there’s nothing to worry about. I trust God and everything will be alright!
You may be in a storm right now. It seems like it has been going on forever. You’ve lost your bearing and all hope is gone. You are sure you will crash on the shore and all will be lost.
But God…has a different outcome!
“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV
“Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13 CEV
If we trust God’s word, keep it as our primary focus, we will still be standing when the storm is over. Let God’s word be your final authority! He will save us from the storm.