Living Word Windhoek

God is always speaking to us, even in the midst of storms wreaking havoc in our lives.

Today we're going to encourage our hearts through the stories of storms in the Bible and how God still got people through and to the other side of the storm.

The storm in Acts 27:

The apostle Paul - still a prisoner for preaching the gospel - is on a boat on the way to Rome from Jerusalem.

They boarded a grain cargo ship (huge, roughly 50m long ship) in the city of Myra and sailed slowly (with lots of difficulty in the strong winds) along the coast of Asia. It was an uphill battle causing them to drift completely off course from where they supposed to go, took much longer and the route was filled with detours due to the stormy conditions.

Paul, an experienced traveler who has been shipwrecked 3 times before, warns the captain of dangerous sea conditions but the captain goes ahead and sails into the storm.

Many of us can relate to finding ourselves in this place: storm-tossed, scared, uncertain, disorientated, exhausted, and with all hope abandoned.

Definition of a storm:
- Something that changes everything around us, elements of chaos, fear, uncertainty, destruction, change, impact. A crisis, temporary convergence of natural elements reacting to and affecting the environment - impacting the normal course of life.

But just when they thought all hope was lost, God reveals Himself through an angel to Paul and encourages their hearts through a prophetic word!

What has God shared with you before or during the storm?

1. STORMS ARE GUARANTEED IN OUR CHRISTIAN JOURNEY

- "Take heart" - "Have courage" - Jesus promised we would have trouble in this world.
- Storms come to everyone, it is part of our Christian walk.
- Storms don't always come because we have sinned, we could be like Paul in the will of God, and still encounter storms and trials.
- Advancing the Kingdom will always come with opposition.
- The key to Kingdom living is understanding the reality of storms and knowing how to navigate and outlast (survive!) it with God.
- Storms are seasonal, it has to pass.

2. STORMS CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR SUPERNATURAL ENCOUNTERS

- In the extremity of crisis, God's power is truly revealed to us.
- We can be so focussed on the natural storm, that we can miss the supernatural within it.
- Like an angel supernaturally appeared to Paul on the ship, and Jesus walking on water to the disciples on the boat, God will show Himself sovereign over laws of nature, gravity, and everything in this world.
- We need to keep our eyes fixed on our supernatural King, seeking Him, and being open to walking on the water with Him. When we look at our natural circumstances, our faith can sink.

3. STORMS REVEAL OUR FOUNDATIONS

- Storms are big revealers: it forces change, exposes weaknesses, teaches us what is valuable, and tests our foundations.
- What have we built our lives on? What or whom have we put our trust in?
- We need to build our lives on the solid rock of Jesus' Kingdom truths.

4. STORMS WON'T CHANGE GOD'S PROMISES

- The storm may destroy the ship/vessel/vehicle/plan we thought was going to be used to get us to the other side, but God's plans will still prevail.
- A storm may take us a different route, timing or detour, but God's plans will still prevail.
- God uses the delays, the detours for His Kingdom purposes.
- Keep God's Word as an anchor to hold on to the final outcome. Trust Him in the process.
When the storms ended, the Kingdom advanced:
- Paul ended up praying for and healing all the sick on the island.
- The disciples were transported immediately in a miracle to the other side and ministry with miracles, signs, and wonders continued on the other side.

Jesus is calling us higher in the season of storms, like the eagle:

- Eagles love a storm, don't run or hide from it, but flies straight into it.
- Eagles use the wind of the storm to rise to higher heights, the pressure of the storm helps them glide without using their energy.
- Eagles know instinctively that just past the storm, is higher heaven with peace and security, the perfect hiding place...

Banking details:

Living Word Namibia
Account name: Living Word Namibia Trust
Bank: First National Bank Namibia
Branch code: 280172
Account number: 62268973916

Prayer requests:

If you have any prayer requests, call/WhatsApp church office on 081 693 7055 or email Johannes & Marissa at info@livingword.com.na.

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