In Acts 27 we are given the detailed story of one of Paul’s ship wrecks. Paul was in one of those typhoon trials that come upon us at times. In fact the word “tempestuous” in verse 14 is where we get our English word “typhoon”. I find that I can be in these trials for two reasons:
•James 1:2-6 The testing of my faith: In this type of situation I may find myself in a typhoon trial apart from any of my own doing as God is allowing it to produce a Christ like character. In other words as James so aptly puts it, “that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
•The other reason is poor decision making on my part. Based upon the text, we see three ingredients that led them into this typhoon of a trial.
• Vs. 9, 12 IMPATIENCE:“When much time had been spent,” and “if by any means they could reach Phoenix”. You put the words “much time spent” with “by any means” and the out come is always impatience! They became impatient with where they were at and how long it was taking them to get to where they wanted to be! And they made an impetuous decision based on that.
• Vs. 11-12 PERSUADED BY THE MAJORITY: The popular decision was what the majority wanted, to stay the winter at a more comfortable place. Have you ever noticed that the popular majority decision is almost always the one that makes its appeal to our physical comfort and ease? If what we are about to make a decision on is based upon our being able to kick back and relax on anything other then God’s grace our red flags ought to be up.
• Vs. 13 TRUSTED IN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES: We place far too much importance in our decision making on fickle circumstances. We place our faith on fate instead of our fate on faith!
When you combine “impatience” with “being persuaded by the popular majority” and throw in placing our “faith on fate” you are always going to find yourselves in a “typhoon trial”. The question is what do you do if it’s too late and your voyage looks as if it’s going to become a shipwreck? Well Paul made his decisions in the remainder of chapter 27 on the Lord and we see that no matter how we have gotten ourselves into a typhoon trial God can cause us to gain great spiritual growth as we go through it. It could well be said that “by crisis a person is not made, but by a crisis we will see what a person is made of!”