Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,

called the “northeaster,”

swept down from the island.

The ship was caught by the storm

and could not head into the wind;

so we gave way to it and were driven along.

Act 27:14 – 15

As I write this post, Hurricane Sandy is brewing in the Atlantic.  Forecasters have predicted that this late season tropical cyclone could turn into “The Perfect Storm,” referring to the possibility of a rare combination of weather systems merging together to create a scenario of unusual magnitude.  In the case of Sandy, the tropical moisture of the hurricane could potentially collide with a huge blast of arctic air to wreak havoc on the northeastern coast of the United States where Sandy is expected to make landfall early next week as a Super Storm of potentially historic proportions.

In the key verses above, Paul and his shipmates were being pummeled about at sea by another late season storm where two weather systems had collided.  The conditions were so terrible that they could not fight the storm and eventually “gave way to it and were driven along.”  This northeaster was a storm of unusual magnitude, and their ship was caught up in the angry seas for over two weeks.

Sometimes we face situations in life which seem like “perfect storm” conditions, causing us to feel like giving way to the wind and waves that rock our world.  There are many types of stormy situations that could devastate our lives:

• financial calamity
• medical crisis
• death in the family
• relational strife
• betrayal by a friend
• loss of a job
• illness of a child
• teenage rebellion
• debilitating injury

Perhaps we are strong enough to successfully navigate through one of these problems, but when two or more of these “systems” merge together at once, we may feel like “giving way” to the storms because we feel powerless to withstand the impact. In our weakness, we simply go with the flow and feel aimlessly tossed about.

If you are facing such a super storm of life right now, remember that God is bigger than anything you might be going through.  He created the earth and the sea and everything in it, and He holds your life (along with all your problems) in His hands.  When you feel that you have lost all hope, remember that He is the anchor of hope for your soul. 

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

You are not alone in your time of crisis.  God is right by your side, and He is your strength when you have nothing left.  Hope in Him is firm and secure, even when you feel like you don’t have a solid foundation upon which to stand.  When you are in a Life Storm, it is natural to be afraid, but if you place your trust completely in the Lord you are able to have courage to face whatever comes your way.

God never promised that His children would never face problems, but He does promise that He will be by our side no matter what.  If you are in a “Perfect Storm,” He can handle it.  Simply hold on tightly to your anchor!

“When the storm has swept by,

the wicked are gone,

but the righteous stand firm forever.

Proverbs 10:25