Chapter 9: Avoiding Shipwreck:

The shipwreck suffered by Paul in Acts 27 highlights important principles which, if understood and applied, can save every believer a considerable amount of trouble in this life. As with most revelations in the Word, these can be applied on several levels: they relate to us as individuals, they relate to our congregations, to the corporate body of Christ, even to nations. They apply to ministries, businesses and families. In a general sense they can be applied to almost any situation. There were four main factors which led the crew of Paul's ship to place themselves in danger of destruction.

They Were Dissatisfied With Their Circumstances:

The crew of Paul's ship did not feel that the port they were in "was adequate for spending the winter" (verse 12). This tendency to be guided by dissatisfaction with circumstances, or people, rather than by the Holy Spirit is the cause of many spiritual shipwrecks. Our spiritual walk is supposed to take us from "glory to glory," not from defeat to defeat. When we are dissatisfied we should be more inclined not to leave a situation, but to wait instead for the glory of victory. The one message that the Lord gave to each of the seven churches in Revelation was that they were to be "overcomers." To be an overcomer means that we must refuse to be overcome by circumstances and opposition. The tendency to be led by circumstances, or to allow the force of opposition to dictate our course, has led to many grievous mistakes.

They Were Impatient:

It is clear that the crew of Paul's ship was in a hurry to get to Rome. Impatience combined with dissatisfaction is a deadly combination. The Scriptures are full of exhortations to wait upon God. I do not know of a single one that encourages us to hurry up or we will miss Him! Spiritual atrophy and lukewarmness are serious problems in the church. Some believers do need to get moving because they are being left behind. Even so, if we start moving just to be moving we will still almost certainly end up in the wrong place. We must be following the Lamb, not impatience. As Israel learned in the wilderness, there are times when the Lord's cloud will move and times when we will be called upon just to camp where we are. If the Lord stops and we keep moving, regardless of how great our zeal for Him is, we will have missed Him. We will be out of His will and may very well have difficulty finding Him again. The Scriptures have many more exhortations to wait upon the Lord because those who really love Him and want to serve Him are more inclined to run ahead than to be too slow to move. We must remember that impatience is not a fruit of the spirit.

They Failed To Heed The Word Of The Lord:

Paul had received a clear word of warning, "But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship, than by what was being said by Paul" (verse 11). This is often the result of our being impatient and dissatisfied. Those who are so inclined will usually disregard the word of the Lord when it comes, and will keep looking until they find someone whose opinion confirms what they want to do. This is a most dangerous practice, and it is a primary reason for many of the defeats and shipwrecks we leave in our own wake.

They Looked To Circumstances To Give Them:

Guidance "When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had gained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing" (Verse 13). The teaching that circumstances will always line up with the guidance from the Lord is another erroneous assumption to which many Christians adhere. This too cannot be substantiated by the Scriptures. The biblical testimony is that obedience to many, if not most, of the directive words of the Lord will require an overcoming of circumstances. There are some examples where circumstances would become favorable through compliance with the directive, and there are even a few where the Lord miraculously intervened to make them favorable. However, these are an exception to the pattern and are by no means substantial enough to constitute general principles. We are to follow the Lamb, not circumstances. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

We are to be led by the Spirit of God from within, not by external circumstances. These are four negative factors that put the crew of Paul's ship in jeopardy of shipwreck. I have observed these same factors operating in the lives of believers and churches which has led to the same disastrous conclusion. Those who do not learn these lessons inevitably live tragic lives of repetitious defeat. Simply recognizing these factors can help break the cycle in our lives.

The Proper Use Of Prophecy:

There are many widespread misconceptions about directive prophecy and spiritual guidance which have also led to many problems. One such teaching concerning personal and directive prophecy states that these should only represent confirmation to the believer. This principle seems wise and logical but cannot be supported biblically. In fact, the biblical record is contrary to this teaching and holding to this fallacy will often create a potential for calamity. First, we must understand; there are times when prophecies do come as needed confirmation. However, it is the teaching that this is always the case that is spurious. This teaching dangerously assumes that the Lord will always speak to us two or more times before we are required to hear Him. The Lord is not like the parent who has allowed his children to get so out of control that they do not hear directives until they have been given several times, and then it's usually by raising their voices! The Lord expects us to hear His voice even when it is a "still small voice," and even when it comes in the midst of earthquakes, wind and fire. The overall testimony of Scripture is that the Lord usually only speaks one time, and only rarely confirms it. Paul's warning of impending danger to their ship was apparently the only one they were given, and it obviously did not come as a confirmation to the centurion. The centurion's determination to seek other counsel when he did not like the word of the Lord led him to a shipwreck, just as it has a number of other biblical characters as it continues to do for numerous present day believers. The biblical testimony is that usually, when directive words of prophecy are given, they are in direct conflict with the leading or direction of the person to whom they are given. Sometimes the true words of the Lord stood alone, in contrast to that of all other witnesses, counselors and even "prophets," opposing the direction the leaders were inclined to go. In almost every case the leader who did not heed the one word paid a terrible price for rejecting it. There are a few cases when confirmation of the word was sought, such as with Gideon, but this is actually the exception to the rule rather than the standard. King Josiah was one of the most righteous, and spiritually sensitive kings in the history of Judah. By the Lord's own testimony he removed more evil from the land than even his forefather David had, and he led the greatest revival in the history of the nation. Even so, when Neco the king of Egypt intended to pass through his land on his way to the Euphrates, the Lord warned Josiah, through Neco (his enemy no less) not to make war with him. However, Josiah would not be dissuaded, "nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God" (11 Chronicles 35:22).

The result of this righteous king not discerning the voice of the Lord, spoken just once and through a most unlikely source, was that he perished in the ensuing battle. Again, there are some examples in both the New and Old Testaments of the Lord giving confirmation to His prophetic words, but these are the exception to the rule. When we make such broad generalizations with our principles we must be sure that they comply with the biblical testimony rather than accepting them because they sound reasonable. Some argue that personal prophecy should always come as confirmation based on the Scripture that "Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses" (11 Corinthians 13:1 & Deuteronomy 17:6).

However, Paul's reference here is not about prophecy. He is quoting the Old Testament verse concerning receiving a legal witness against another. In neither reference is prophecy or directive guidance the subject of this commandment. This misconception is simply the result of faulty hermeneutics.

The True Test Of Guidance:

Many of the popular "principles" that are taught concerning how to judge prophecy seem to be an attempt to avoid the most important factor in distinguishing true words from false—knowing the Lord's voice. The issue to validating prophetic words is not how many we receive, but rather the clarity and anointing on the words themselves. If we are leaders in the body of Christ, which every believer is called to be to some degree, our first responsibility is to be able to hear the directives of our Leader—Jesus. The Lord's sheep know His voice. Even the most logical principles cannot be substituted for this one essential. The way that sheep come to know their shepherd's voice is by being with him. In this same way we will come to know the voice of our Shepherd. The more time we have spent with Him, the better we will know His voice. There is no substitute for this.

Discernment Comes From Knowing The Real:

I was once told of a man who worked for the Treasury Department whose sole job was to handle money. He became so familiar with the feel of real currency that he would know instantly when he was handed a counterfeit bill. In this same way we must become so familiar with the true word, that if any other person or spirit speaks to us, we will know instantly that it is not the Lord. Had this man at the Treasury Department spent his time handling counterfeit money he would probably never have been able to recognize true currency. The same is true spiritually. Few who devote themselves to studying cults or deviant doctrines are able to distinguish the true word of the Lord, and usually their hearts are ultimately darkened by the very evil they seek to expose. We will be changed into that which we are beholding (11 Corinthians 3:18).

There is an implied warning in the Lord's message to the church in Thyatira about "knowing the deep things of Satan" (Revelation 2:24).

The more we focus on what is wrong, or the practices of the evil one, the more we, ourselves, will be changed into the nature of what we are seeing. That is why Paul exhorts us to "Prove all things [which implies to test them], hold fast that which is good" [not that which is bad]. (I Thessalonians 5:21 KJV).

I once read an amazing story about the ability of sheep to distinguish their shepherd's voice. The author of this story was sitting on a hill overlooking a watering hole when he observed three different, large flocks of sheep being led to it simultaneously. He perceived an impending, serious problem for the shepherds—that their flocks would get so mixed that they would never be able to separate them again! Amazingly, the shepherds seemed unconcerned as they stood talking to each other and the flocks intermingled. Then, after the sheep had all been watered, each shepherd took a different path and began singing as he walked. There was a great convulsion in the huge mixed flock; then little streams of sheep began to follow behind each shepherd as he walked and sang. Soon they had all separated into their individual flocks behind their own shepherds. Even when all of the shepherds were singing at the same time, those sheep knew their own master's voice and were able to distinguish it. This is a wonderful illustration of how we, too, must know our Shepherd's voice. Knowing the voice of the Lord is not dependent upon how many times He speaks, or even how He speaks; it is dependent upon knowing Who is speaking. We can, and must be able to distinguish His voice from all of the others that are clamoring for our attention. There is no shortcut or substitute for simply being with Him and communicating with Him.

Instant Obedience:

If we teach our children that they do not really have to obey us until we have repeated ourselves several times and then raised our voices, they will not respond to us until we go through that process. The children who are taught by their parents to obey the first time will hear and respond with the first command. It is a terrible, and often costly, presumption when we refuse to hear and respond to the Lord the first time He speaks to us, regardless of whether it is what we want to do or not. God is not like weak, inconsistent parents. There are numerous men and women of God who suffer shipwreck after shipwreck in their lives because they are like the centurion on Paul's ship. When they hear the word of the Lord, it is not what they want to hear. Then it is convenient to use such excuses as not having any confirmation for the word, so they seek the opinions of others until they find one they like. This will set them up to follow circumstances which lead to shipwreck.

Grace For The Willing:

In John 7:17 the Lord states, "If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." We must understand the Lord is a strict, but loving Father. What good parent would be upset with a child that really wanted to obey, but had a hearing problem and sometimes misunderstood directives? The Lord is full of grace and mercy for the willing, obedient heart. There is also grace for the immature. The Lord specified that His sheep knew His voice, not His lambs. Lambs are expected to follow the more mature until their own senses have been trained through experience. Many biblical characters, who died or suffered loss for failure to heed the word of the Lord, were holding positions of leadership that required the highest standards of discernment and obedience. These standards cannot be compromised. The greater the authority and influence, the higher the standards which are required. Many are bound by such a fear that they will miss the Lord and His directives that they are easily subjected to false leadings by the enemy or by the confusion in their own hearts. The Lord does not lead through fear; He leads us by faith. "The wisdom (or leading) from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:17-18).

The Lord knows our weaknesses and He is full of grace and mercy. He is not busy looking for reasons to judge us; He is always seeking ways to show us mercy and grace. He does not pressure us with fears that we will miss Him; the wisdom that He gives comes with His peace. When I am not sure if I am hearing from the Lord I ask Him to speak to me again, especially when it has to do with a major decision, or if it is contrary to what I believe is the right course of action. But I do not do this because I am demanding a right; I go to the throne of grace seeking grace to help me in my need, because I am still so dull of hearing. However, I do not always expect Him to do this because I understand that it is not biblical to expect it. There is a point at which He simply expects us to obey without further discussion. It is my hope to mature to the place where, like Elijah in the cave, I will always be sensitive to hear His voice regardless of the circumstances, confusion or distractions. That is maturity. That is why the Lord said that His sheep know His voice.

Part 2 - How To Get Out Of The Storm :

There was a reason why the Lord wanted to restrain Paul's ship from leaving the port. Even though it did not seem adequate for the winter, the Lord knew about the storm that was coming. We often presume that God will not allow us to get into a storm, which is why many get into unnecessary troubles. Of course, it would have been an easy thing for the Lord to calm the storm that came upon Paul's ship. However, He is usually far more interested in changing the attitudes of our hearts which keep getting us into such storms. Adam and Eve's obvious dissatisfaction with their circumstances was what started all of our problems in the first place. This is still at the root of all of our problems, and we will never get back to the peace and harmony that was known in the Garden until it is rooted out of us. The Scriptures warn us that, as we come to the end of this age, we will be entering into the greatest time of troubles that the world has ever known. Many Christians believe that they will escape these troubles through the rapture. Even if this is the case, what is described as just "the beginning of birth pangs" is catastrophic in itself. It is therefore imperative that we know how to deal with troubles even if we are going to escape that which is called "the great tribulation." If we learn to handle them properly, every difficulty we experience will lead us closer to the Lord. The storms we get ourselves into will ultimately help to work contentment into our lives; it is amazing how good that "inadequate" port will look from the midst of the storm! The issue is—how many storms will be required for us to learn contentment in whatever state the Lord has us? If we would learn to be patient in the Lord, listen to Him and follow Him only, to calm the voice of our personal ambition, and not to be deceived by favorable circumstances, only the Lord Himself knows how much grief we would save ourselves and His people during the span of our lifetime.

There Is A Way Out:

What should we do if we are already in the midst of a storm? Even if we got into our present mess because of our dissatisfaction, impatience or not heeding the Lord's warnings, we can still get out of the storm without losing everything. Even if you have made all of the mistakes listed above, do not panic; there is still a way out of your storm. Remarkably, the actions that the crew of Paul's ship took in the storm are consistently what should not be done to successfully navigate through a storm. These same actions reflect the pattern that most people follow when reacting to problems. Human reasoning is often contrary to the ways of the Lord, but under pressure that reasoning can often become irrational. We must understand this reasoning if we are to escape its folly. The following are principles that can help us to navigate the storms of life, but often they are contrary to what we may feel like doing.

Principle #1 - We must prepare for the storms before we get into them:

If we are going to be prepared to get through the storms, we must understand that they are inevitable. There are storms that we must go through even when we are on course and moving in the will of the Lord. When the Lord compared the house (life) that had been built upon the rock, which was built by both hearing and heeding the word of the Lord, a storm came upon it too. Paul said, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

A recent phenomenon to come out of the Western church has been the subtle concept that it is not the will of God for Christians to have problems. This is contrary to the biblical testimony which speaks of the faith to have victory over problems, not to escape from them. It is true that we do not want to go through storms that are not necessary, which are caused by our own self-will. Even so, we must be prepared to navigate through the storms that we are destined to go through, as well as the ones that we get ourselves into —the Lord wants to get us out of those, too! As a professional pilot I had to learn a lot about weather for the specific purpose of avoiding storms. Even "all weather" fighters do all that they can to avoid thunderstorms. Not only can the lightning be dangerous, but the most violent turbulence on earth can be found in a thunderhead. There can be an updraft rising at six thousand feet per minute right next to a down draft of six thousand feet per minute—going from one to the other can tear the wings off of your plane. But even if you get into a thunderhead, you will probably come out of it if you follow the proper procedures. Remarkably, these procedures parallel the biblical counsel of navigating the storms of life. When I decided to become a pilot, I was determined to be the best pilot that I could possibly become. I requested the toughest instructors. Later, after I had become an instructor, I took a job flying with a man who was considered one of the world's best pilots. He seemed to take great pleasure at exposing my flaws and mistakes. He would put as much pressure on me as he possibly could on each flight—even the smallest mistake would draw either ridicule or rage. There would be days when I would come home from the airport never wanting to even see another airplane. Later in my career, when I got into storms or faced other emergencies, I was very thankful for all of the pressure this man put me under. Once I got into a storm that exceeded any I had ever experienced. Not only was I nearly blinded by lightning which struck my plane, but the turbulence was so bad that for minutes at a time I could not read my instruments to know whether I was right side up or upside down. When my arms became so weary from fighting the controls that I did not think that I could go on, I cried out to God for a miracle to get me out of the storm. His reply was quick but firm: "Your training was My grace to get you through." I am thankful for the miracles when we get them, but often we do not need a miracle as much as we need endurance. The writer of Hebrews explained, "But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings... For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised" (Hebrews 10:32,36).

Trials are for the purpose of working God's grace into our lives. One of the most important lessons we can learn to get us through our lives on course is to not waste a good trial, but to make the most of every opportunity. The lessons we learn from them may someday save our spiritual lives. Consider some of the following promises from the Bible. These are probably not the ones that we have tacked onto our refrigerators so that we can claim them everyday, but are nevertheless the Word of God. "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me" (Philippians 1:29-30).

What was this suffering Paul was experiencing? He tells us in II Corinthians 4:8-11: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, [in order] that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus's sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Paul is saying here that death is the path of life in Christ. The Lord Jesus said the same thing in other words when He stated what was required of those who would follow Him: If anyone [not just preachers or ministers, but anyone] wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it (Matthew 16:24-25).

Paul further encourages us: And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (II Timothy 3:12).... [you are] in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God (Philippians 1:28).

Have you ever considered that the opposition coming against you is "a sign of your salvation"?

Paul's encouragement to the Corinthians continued: For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

When the eyes of our hearts are opened to see the things which are eternal, we really are able to: Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).

Principle #2 - You must stay calm in the midst of the storm:

Panic almost certainly kills more pilots than the actual storms. Panic destroys our judgment and our ability to function properly. When the Lord Jesus and His disciples got into a storm, He confronted it with "Peace! Be still." Our first priority must be to focus on the peace of the Lord, not the tension generated by the storm. Your own panic in the midst of a storm can be far more deadly than the storm itself.

Principle #3 - You must keep your wings level:

Every flight manual recommends this for turbulence penetration. Keeping your wings level speaks of maintaining balance when every natural tendency is to begin reacting and therefore overreacting to the storm. Once a pilot starts overreacting to turbulence, he is close to losing control of the aircraft. Also, the stress on the aircraft just from the turbulence can be close to the limits of what it can take. If we start overreacting on the controls we are adding to that stress. This is what happens to many churches, ministries, movements and individuals who drift into the extremes—they get into a storm and then start overreacting. This presses them beyond the limits of what the people can bear, and the ship starts breaking up.

Principle #4 - You must hold your course:

The quickest way out of a storm is to go straight through it. Flight manuals, instructors and experienced pilots will all tell you not to turn around when you get into a storm. The largest thunderheads are usually only a few miles wide. When you try to turn around in the storm, you will stay in it longer than if you just flew straight. The crew of Paul's ship let themselves be driven by the storm—they let the storm dictate the course. Just as this was the beginning of the end of Paul's ship, it is usually the beginning of the end of ours. The way out of the storm is not by submitting to it but by overcoming it. Great pressure will come upon us during the storm to make changes or try new courses to get out of the storm—resist them! "Make straight paths for your feet" (Hebrews 12:13). Hold your course!

Principle #5 - Do not abandon your cargo while in the storm:

The next reaction of the crew of Paul's ship was to jettison the cargo. This is a common reaction of people who get into problems; we begin to abandon the teachings, relationships, and often even the church that the Lord has given us to help us through such problems. Remember that the cargo is usually the purpose for the journey. Cargo includes the things we are to carry to our destination. We must not easily abandon them when we get into a storm. Most of us do have a great deal of excess baggage that we could stand to get rid of, but the time to start throwing things out is not while we're in the storm. Our judgment will not be as good in the pressure of trials, and we will almost certainly throw out many things that we should have retained. The worst mistakes I have made as a Christian were caused by my tendency to get rid of my "excess baggage" while in the midst of a storm. In the storm, hold your course, and hold on to what God has given you.

Principle #6 - Do not submit to the storm—submit to God:

The next thing the crew of Paul's ship did was to throw out the ship's tackle. That Paul stated "with our own hands" indicates that he was amazed they could do such a thing. With the ship's tackle gone, they had no hope of steering the ship again. They had totally abandoned themselves to the storm. The Lord wants us to live in submission to His will, but this is not the same as submission to circumstances. When the Lord gives us a course, we should steer. If we are controlled by circumstances, we will be blown about by every wind and will end up almost certainly far from the course He has given us. When I first started flying I was amazed when I looked down at the course of rivers. I knew that rivers meandered, but I never knew that they twisted and turned to the degree that they do. Because they twist and bend so much, they usually have to go many times the distance to get from point to point than they would if they just flowed in a straight line. Why do rivers twist and turn so much? Because water always takes the path of least resistance. Likewise, people who are prone to always take the path of least resistance will be continually turning and twisting in their lives, having to travel many times the distance and expending many times the effort to get to their destinations. Again, the Lord commanded us to "strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet" (Hebrews 12:12-13).

He has not called us to submit to resistance; He has called us to overcome it.

Principle #7 - Never lose your hope:

The crew of Paul's ship abandoned all hope and stopped eating. Even if we have made many mistakes and put ourselves into such difficult circumstances, we must never give up hope, and we must not stop eating. As Paul had previously written to the Romans (he was traveling to Rome on this ship): ... we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:3-5)

That is a sure promise from God—our hope will not disappoint us. Hebrews 6:18-19 states: "[Because] it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor for the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil." Hope is the anchor our soul needs in the midst of storms and rough seas. It is actually hope that enables us to enter into the presence of the Lord ("within the veil"). Despair and depression are our greatest enemies during periods of trial and conflict. When the first generation of the children of Israel who came out of Egypt gave themselves to depression, it led to their grumbling and complaining, which led to their destruction and failure to enter the promised land. It will do the same for us. Never abandon your hope. Never give yourself to complaining. Also like the crew of Paul's ship, we often begin to neglect eating when we get in such intense circumstances. It is amazing how we tend to neglect our daily feeding on the Word of God when we need it the most. Neglecting this is probably the main reason why we lose our hope and faith while in the midst of the trials. When we make the same mistakes that the crew of Paul's ship did, we will get into unnecessary storms. If we continue to make those same mistakes in the midst of the storm, we will suffer loss. Even so, the great encouragement of the whole story of Acts 27 is found in the results of their adventure. Even though they lost the ship, its "fragments" made life preservers so that 1) not a soul was lost, 2) they were provided with a safe haven for spending the rest of the winter and, 3) they were provided with another ship in order to finish their journey.

Summary:

When we begin to combine dissatisfaction with impatience we have a deadly combination. Add to them the failure to heed the word of the Lord and we are primed for the knockout punch of being deceived by favorable circumstances, never suspecting the terrible storm that follows right behind them. How many individuals, dissatisfied with their homes, cars or other "needs" (often goaded by commercial advertising), when they receive a raise, promotion or indications that one is coming, succumb to impatience and go into debt? Then the storm comes and they suffer a layoff, or other cutback, or they just do not get the raise. Many stay on the thin edge of disaster financially, or actually suffer shipwreck because of this pattern. How many churches or ministries, being dissatisfied with their present buildings or meeting place, become convinced that a new building would cause them to grow? The Lord may have in fact given them a vision of growth but they just cannot wait for the proper timing of the Lord. So they strive for their new facilities to the degree that they lose touch with the Lord and His anointing. Then they end up with twice the building and half the people they already had, because those people were coming for the Lord, not a building. The Lord will bless faith but He will not bless presumption, or impatience. If we are moved by dissatisfaction or impatience we are sailing in dangerous seas. There are many believers who are "church hoppers." They never become fruitful members of the body of Christ because they bail out any time the "port starts looking inadequate." How many never become established, fruitful members of the body of Christ because they are impatient for the perfect church that just is not found on this earth? These almost all go on to become the ones Jude called "clouds without water, carried along by winds; trees without fruit, doubly dead, ...for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever" (Jude 12-13). Idealism is an enemy of the truth! Some of the books projecting the ideal, perfect church have done more to put stumbling blocks in the path of the church becoming mature and effective than hoards of false doctrines. We need to have a vision of maturity and the Lord's standards and purposes for His church, but idealism is from within the human heart; it is from the "good" side of the Tree Of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The good side of that tree is just as deadly as the evil side; they both have the same root. Those who project the "ideal church" in a spirit of criticism toward those that do not meet up to their standards can put themselves in a worse jeopardy than those who are falling short of the Lord's standards. Those who are led by dissatisfaction and impatience usually become the very ones about which Jude warned the church—the "grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage...these are the ones who cause divisions" (Jude 16,19). Those who are led by dissatisfaction and impatience usually become the church hoppers who can be found behind many church divisions, spreading their poison of discontent everywhere they go. The Lord Himself said that it would be better for us not to have been born than to cause even one of His little ones to stumble; this is the very last type of person we ever want to become! We may be "saved," born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit, read our Bibles and pray more than anyone else, but the Lord Jesus Himself warned that it would be better for us to have never been born than to cause even one of His little ones to stumble. These "grumblers and fault finders" often spend their lives causing others to stumble and will be in serious trouble when they stand before the Him on that day. Those who are led by impatience and dissatisfaction will become bitter souls, inevitably blaming everyone but themselves for their failures, and their roots of bitterness will almost always go on to defile many others. There will be times when the "ports" we're in will not look adequate to us—and they will have inadequacies! However, it is when we are inadequate that God's grace makes up the difference, where we begin to see His miraculous provision. It is usually just before He moves that impatience will exert its greatest pressure, even a "spiritual" impatience to fulfill what we know is the calling of God. If we allow impatience to guide us it will result in defeat. Often that defeat comes just before the breakthrough that God had planned. The Lord is very faithful to speak to us at that time, but we are often too distracted by the agitation of our souls to hear Him. We must learn not to let impatience or dissatisfaction become our guides—they will usually lead us into a worse situation than we were in before. We must learn to "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts" (Colossians 3:15).

For "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:17-18).

Only when we have learned to be led by the Spirit (whose fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, which are exactly contrary to dissatisfaction and impatience) will we go from "glory to glory" instead of from defeat to defeat. I have watched individuals, families, ministries, churches, Christian communities and businesses suffer shipwreck because of these same factors. In every case the ship would run aground and begin to break up until there were just fragments left. Yet, the Lord would always be faithful to then provide another ship. If we will abide in His grace, we will still go through storms, but we will never suffer shipwreck. However, if we make the mistake of not abiding in His grace so that we do suffer shipwreck, there is still mercy that is always ready to restore us and give us another chance. Even so, isn't it time that we quit wrecking the ships that He gives us? Let us be content with the "port" the Lord has us in, and stay there until He directs us to leave. Let us not be led by dissatisfaction and impatience, but let us instead abide in contentment in whatever circumstances He has us in. It will take both "faith and patience to inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12).

We must not be so easily fooled by the first breeze that's blowing the way we want to go, when we've been told to wait. I have never been in a "shipwreck," nor have I ever observed one, which was not caused by impatience. We may blame our problems on the devil but I do not think that he deserves as much credit as we have given him. When we learn to "let the peace of God rule in our hearts" (Colossians 3:15), we will have smooth sailing.