OUR NEXT CHAPTER 009
DEVOTIONAL
READ :
Acts 27
It ’ s not an overstatement that every day of Lewis and Clark ’ s journey was filled with life-threatening peril . From the unpredictable weather and treacherous terrains to grizzly bears , diseases , and a scarcity of food , their 28-month expedition was a constant attempt to stay alive . As we mentioned the first week , there is a good reason Thomas Jefferson considered them to be men of “ undaunted courage .”
Things get dangerous when we go where no one has gone before . As familiar as Lewis and Clark were with this truth , Paul was arguably more familiar with it . Writing to the church in Corinth , Paul lists the ways he suffered for the gospel . That list includes but is not exclusive to being whipped with 39 lashes ( 5 different times ), being beaten with rods ( 3 different times ), being pummeled with stones ( 1 time ), being shipwrecked ( 3 times ), being adrift at sea ( one night , one day ), being in danger from robbers , being in danger in the city , being in danger in the wilderness , being in danger at sea , being hungry and thirsty , and being cold and exposed . ( 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 )
Acts 27 begins the end of the story for Paul and much like the rest of the story , Paul endures great hardship . In this chapter alone , he is shipwrecked and bitten by a deadly snake . Paul remained confident through the literal storms and the storms of life because he knew that no obstacle would get in the way of God accomplishing His plan .
The reality is that the next chapter of our church will most likely not involve shipwrecks , snake bites , or grizzly bears . However , it will affect other kinds of obstacles . Moving to new horizons always comes with unforeseen challenges . Our next chapter will have speedbumps . Through it all , we will keep moving forward with the confidence that God will accomplish whatever He wants to accomplish through us .