Acts 28:1-24 | God's Favor Even in the Storm | Rich Jones

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The favor of God is a beautiful part of our relationship to Him. But what does it mean? What does God's favor look like? For some people it means that God always gives them a parking place near the entrance. Or if their lane of traffic is the fastest one; or when they get a raise or a promotion at work.
But here's what many people miss, God's hand of blessing and favor often comes to those who suffer greatly. David was anointed the future king of Israel. That was God's favor on his life, and that was also when the difficulties began. It was when David was willing to take on that Philistine giant that he again saw the favor of God on his life.
Daniel was one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. He was given the gift of interpreting dreams. That was God's favor on his life. He was given a position of stature and authority in the Babylonian kingdom. That was God’s favor on his life. But others plotted against him and when he stood faithful in God, he was thrown into a den of lions. That was when the favor of God was once again seen in his life.
Do you know where the church is growing the fastest and strongest? In Iran. The church there is heavily persecuted and it's there that the favor of God is powerfully seen.
Paul was given the privilege of being one of the greatest apostles in the New Testament. More of the New Testament scriptures were written by Paul than any other Apostle. Yet Paul suffered greatly. Five times he received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned and left for dead, three times he was shipwrecked and a night and a day he spent in the deep. Yet, clearly, the favor of God is on his life.
After hearing all that you might say, “I'm not sure I want God's favor on my life if it means going through difficulties and troubles.” Here's the thing, this world is filled with difficulties and troubles. I would rather be in the will of God and have the favor of God than anything else in my life.
Last week we journeyed with Paul as he was on a ship in a raging storm in the middle of the Mediterranean for two full weeks and then was shipwrecked on an island. This week we join him on that island we come to know is Malta.
This is a story of the favor of God even in the midst of suffering. There are many principles for us in these verses.
As they battled the storm for two full weeks, all hope was gradually lost. But Paul stood in their midst and urged them to take courage because an angel of God had assured him that he would stand before Caesar and that God had granted safety to those sailing with him.
Paul said, “Keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. But first we must run aground on a certain island.”
About midnight on the fourteenth day, the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land. Fearing they might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak. When day came, they observed a certain bay with a beach and decided to drive the ship onto it if they could. Casting off their anchors, they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach, but they struck a reef and the prow of the vessel stuck fast. Soon, the force of the waves began to break up the stern of the ship, so they commanded those that could swim to jump overboard and get to land and the rest followed, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship.
Storms and even shipwrecks come in everyone’s life, but storms and shipwrecks don’t have to shipwreck your faith. You can trust God through every stormy gale; you have an anchor for your soul. In fact, it's often in the stormy gale that God's favor will be seen in your life.
In Acts chapter 28, we pick up the story just after they made it safely to shore.


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