If you meditate on God’s Word and listen to Him, He will show you the best path to walk through your circumstances. His answers may not come instantly or without effort on your part. But they have the power to save your finances, your relationships, your family—and possibly even your life.
meditation is a vital part of the
Christian life and what I mean by
meditation I mean that period of time
you set aside to read the Word of God
talk with him listen to him seek His
guidance and direction for your life
it’s a vital part of our life for all of
us no matter who we are it’s a sacred
time a holy time that you have to guard
you know don’t let’s set aside that time
but you have to guard that time Satan
will do anything and everything in this
power to get you busy to distract you to
get you doing good things not bad things
good things anything to keep you off
your knees keep you out of the Word of
God keep you from meditating upon
Scripture keep you from absorbing the
Word of God keeping you from feeding on
the Word of God because he knows how
important it is so when we say well what
is meditation it’s focusing your heart
your life your soul your spirit on God
listening to him responding to him and
growing in the result of that activity
that’s what it’s all about it’s a simple
thing on the one hand but you have to
guard it because the devil knows how
much powerful it is in your life and
sometimes it’s easy to focus on a single
verse of scripture let’s just say let’s
just take trust in the Lord with all
your heart lean not here on
understanding and all your ways
acknowledge him and he shall direct your
path a familiar passage of Scripture
that most of us know by heart and so
forth it what about a whole chapter
somebody says we can you meditate on the
whole chapter yes you can and that’s
what I want to do in this message and
that is how do we meditate on the whole
passage how would God say something to
us especially in a chapter like this
which is about a shipwreck now how many
of you have
on some kind of a sailing vessel of some
sort most of you have well you know the
last thing you want is a wreck at sea
and so when I read this 27th chapter of
Acts I think it’s a perfect example of
those who listen to God and those who do
not and it’s easy to focus on a verse or
two but the question becomes what about
what about focusing on the whole chapter
if I’m having my devotions and
meditating on a passage how can I
meditate upon a whole chapter yes you
can so I really want to do simply this I
want to show you how in one chapter God
can speak to your heart in the very
specific way teach us what he wants the
teachers help us to learn what we need
to learn help us to get a sense of
direction so beginning in his 27th
chapter of Acts we’ll take the whole
chapter here and then but I’m not gonna
read it in fact it’s an awesome chapter
it’s a very it’s full of action and so
we’ll read just a portion of it when it
was decided that we would sail for Italy
they proceeded to deliver Paul and some
other prisoners to a Centurion of the
Augustan cohort named Julius now there
were 276 of those people on board and
they were on their way to Rome Paul of
which was one of them and it was said by
other Romans in the previous chapter
that he might have been freed if he had
not desired to face caesar who found
they had him executed so here he is on
this boat on the ship and they’re having
the sale to rome a pretty good trip
sauce trip and so when they started the
winds were a little contrary and the
scripture says and he’ll follow me
through this chapter from there we put
out to sea and sail under the shelter of
cyprus that is
to it because the winds were contrary
and when we had sailed through the sea
along the coast of Silesia and that
panther dia we landed Myra and Lycians
so forth and so then the Centurion found
an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy
and he put his aborted so they’ve had a
change of ships you say what’s that got
to do with my meditation just follow me
you’ll find out when it sails slowly for
good that few days the difficulty had
arrived Dawson this since he the wind
did not permit us to go further we
sailed under the shelter of Crete of
salami and with difficulty sailing past
it we came to a place called fair havens
near which was the city of lacy a very
detailed in this chapter new thing
what’s that got to do with my my
meditation just stay with me
when considerable time had passed and
voices she was now dangerous since even
the fast was all over and Paul began to
admonish them and said to them men I
perceive that the voyage will certainly
be with damage and great loss and not
only of the cargo and the ship but also
of our lives and so this is where they
are they’re in one storm after the other
and most of these men on board of
prisoners but there were enough Romans
on there because what’s this this was
the law if you were a Roman in charge of
ten prisoners and they escaped
you got the penalty David a garden so
this is why they were so harsh and so
brutal
that if they failed they paid the
penalty and so they had a discussion of
what they were going to do well they
going to sail into a port
let the storm get by and they have to be
there for a few months they had this
decision to make so in listening to the
discussion the scripture says in verse
11
but the Centurion was more persuaded by
the pilot and the captain of the ship
then by what Paul had said to him
because Paul was warning them he
admonished them men I perceive this
Hodge was certain to me with damage and
great loss not only of the cargo and of
the ship but also of our lives so there
was one against the rest so they took a
vote and the vote said that the pilot
and the captain said one thing and as a
result the Centurion was persuaded and
they decided to sail knowing there was a
storm brewing so the scripture says
because the Harbor was not suitable for
weather wintering the majority reached
the decision notice it said of majority
now watch this when you’re listening to
God watch that majority business because
the majority doesn’t know the will of
the Father when you and got a talking to
each other
majority reached the decision to put out
the sea from there if somehow they could
reach Theni
if somehow they could a harbor of crete
facing south west northwest and spend
the winter there but when a lotta the
south wind came up supposing that they
had attained that purpose they wait and
can begin sailing along crete close to
choice it was they got to do with my
meditation it has a lot to do with it
watch this carefully you can’t get in a
hurry you can’t be rushed and meditating
upon God this is another long chapter
but there are lessons here that God
would have us to understand and learn
because this is the way most people live
or how things seem to be if this and if
that and the wind here and
and that port there and so the scripture
says before very long there was a
violent wind called Urich Lilla which
means a northeastern that northeastern
us for us would be a bits snow still
intestine airway or whatever it might be
but it meant a very very strong song and
so there they were in the middle of it
and the rest of this chapter is all
about this storm and what happens and so
somebody says well now what’s that got
to do with me well all of us face storms
in our life
different kind of storms at different
times in our life and so reading this
chapter if you said I think I’ll read
this is my devotion he said we’ll read a
whole chapter as your devotion yes well
what can I learn from a shipwreck just
wait and listen because God has a lot to
teach us throughout the Word of God and
what I want you to see is that whatever
you reading in the Word of God he has
something to say to us about the way we
live in this 21st century and so to
illustrate that we come to what’s going
on here and the situation is it
they left their ports the winds were
contrary Paul warned them and they
continued violent storms and the
scripture says when these things begin
to happen to them naturally they thought
about what the Apostle Paul had said and
he wasn’t encouraging them to listen and
take food and everybody’s gonna be alive
everything’s gonna be okay but the
centenarian and the rest of them were
very concerning because this this was
shipwrecked whether they were in but he
said here’s what God said to me and so
he assured them that everything was
going to be all right and then when you
read into this 27th chapter and you read
on over totes that say the fourteenth
verse but before very long there was
rushed down from the land of violent
wind cold ear Aquila
and then the next thing you see in verse
18 the next day as we were being
violently storm tossed they began to
throw things overboard and the tackle of
the Lord couldn’t see the Sun nor stars
for days and they were they decided to
abandon the ship and the Apostle Paul
told them if you stay on board you’ll be
safe if you don’t you gonna lose your
life so this is all about an experience
they had in the sea this is you know
what’s that got to do with me in my life
well let me ask you this you have been
in a song of a physical storm what about
the spiritual stone come on let’s be
honest spiritual stone yes we’ve all had
spiritual storms in our life times when
we didn’t know what to do
our towns from he wanted to do the thing
we shouldn’t do times when we were
convinced and persuaded all they tried
to convince and persuade us that it was
the wrong thing to do and so remember
how they got in this position that is
that they went by majority vote listen
carefully when you’re dealing with God
you don’t go by majority you go by the
voice of one that’s what meditation is
all about listening to God paying
attention to what he says and he won’t
give you the full story oftentimes at
one time but step by step and so as a
result if you read this passage there
was a terrible shipwreck and they lost
everything and the soldiers who were
trying to escape they let down those
lifeboats in the pretense of laying
anchors when they really were trying to
escape but the soldiers threatened them
and they knew that they would lose their
lives and so to bring all that to a halt
let’s think about how it applies to your
life and mine so we want to read the
Word of God and we come to this
particular chapter
and so it’s all about activity and
shipwreck and what Paul said what they
said the question is what does it what
does God say because this is one of
those chapters we thankful God wasn’t
sending to me about that yes he would
because there’s a truth here that all of
us need to be aware of that is whatever
situation we may be in it’s always wise
to meditate upon the Lord God what would
you have me to do how would you have me
to respond what would you have me to say
you think about all the situations and
circumstances you’ve been in in your
life where you had to defend yourself in
a situation where you had to make a
decision that was very important maybe
it was a financial decision a marital
decision or some relationship that you
have that is we have all kinds of
decisions and we make them on some basis
when you develop the habit as a part of
your life of meditation reading a
passage of Scripture whatever portion
that may be asking you to speak to you
asking him to give you direction that’s
like having your own private personal
counselor that is not a waste of time
and somebody says well I’m too busy to
be getting on my knees or the line
asleep and I’m to basically be waiting
for God to say something no you’re not
you may think you are but listen
meditation is their safety net
meditation is their time to listen to
the right voice to not only listen but
also to make the right choices in life
and so what was Jesus up early as a
Bible reminds us in several places of
early before day because Jesus the Son
of God knew that he needed that time to
be alone with this Heavenly Father to
listen to the father all of us none of
us are in such a situation that we are
circum
plea within ourselves that we don’t need
God’s direction how many of us have
awakened a beautiful wonderful day go to
work whatever it might be and some
circumstance happened and you think if I
don’t know this is going to happen I
just stay at home I wish I hadn’t even
awakened God wants his children
developing a habit of meditation no
matter who we are what we are how
important we think we are all of us need
that take time to listen to God and so
they didn’t listen because the Centurion
who had final authority had to exercise
his authority and said no where we going
with no words besides Paul are you a
sailor no what do you know about
seamanship well not much well so what
they decide to do they decided to listen
to ungodly counsel and made a life
determining decision it cost them
everything but their life and the reason
it didn’t cost them their life is
because God had promised them then the
Apostle Paul here’s what you do and no
matter what happens I’m saying I’m
getting you to Rome and so whatever may
happen I’m gonna get you there but if
they disobey me you’re gonna lose
everything and that’s exactly what
happened
shipwrecked lost everything on board
except the prisoners all the prisoners
were safe and you remember this that the
prisoners were prisoners I don’t know
how many of them are helping to hold
that boat or whatever it might be but
they were prisoners of Rome but Paul
heard from God that everybody is going
to be safe everybody’s gonna make it and
in the midst of that storm they would
never have believed that and even those
who tried to escape are not able to
escape God had decreed they get the
Apostle Paul to roam the sea Caesar and
so here’s this storm at sea and
everything is breaking up and if you’ll
notice to the end here that’s what
happens to the ship it all breaks up
it’s a reef
and yet in spite of that the scripture
says that they were all safe and all
rescued and everything that the Apostle
Paul had prophesied came to pass and so
I just want to draw out a few things as
an example because I want you to be wise
enough to realize that the most
important thing in your life
as a follower of Jesus is your time that
you spend alone with him with nobody but
him and so listen it was it was a
priority in the life of Jesus I was
surprised too in the life of the Apostle
Paul because it’s the time when you and
God personally are hearing each other
God is hearing you you’re hearing God
you’re listening to God God is listening
to you
it’s that private intimate personal time
that you spend with him it’s when there
are no interruptions in your
relationship with him most important
part of your life no matter what no
matter what the most important thing you
do is your private devotion that time
you spend reading his word asking God to
speak to your heart listening to what he
has to say and when you have a private
time with just you and God let me tell
you something that can save your life it
can save your finances it can save your
marriage it can save your relationships
it can save your children it can save
every aspect of your life because it’s
that time when you and God that just the
two of you are dealing with something in
your life that god is going to give you
the right answer you may hear lots of
things but if you will stay with him he
will show you exactly what to do in any
and every situation
he is not going to mislead you watch
this carefully
if he loves you enough to give his son
to down the cross view he’s certainly
not gonna mislead you in some decision
you have to make you say well I want
nobody no you’re not you’re somebody you
know somebody whom Jesus is saved you
know somebody that God has kept you to
this fall in your life you’re somebody
that God has a plan for your life you’re
somebody that has a future
and for whom God loves enough to take
time to listen to you speak to you God
you help you guard you that’s who he is
that’s what that’s what this is all
about and so when I think about the
whole idea of meditation it’s listening
and responding in the right way watch
this carefully be careful who you listen
to many people have made desperately
wrong decisions in their life because of
who they listen to when you are
listening to someone else in making a
decision look at their life don’t look
at how much money to have who they’re
married to whether they live or what
they drive listen to who they are listen
to what they are watch their conduct
listen to Almighty God and this is what
Paul was saying having heard what God
said we’re going to lose it all and
everybody on board is gonna lose their
life if you don’t stay onboard the ship
now what I will necessity R is not
what’s true of seamanship
well what’s true of our life every day
that’s why you have to say watch this
you have to add your time husbands have
to have that time whilst they have that
time children have that time parents at
that time that is time that you said
alone between you and God now watch this
carefully every morning you wake up the
Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior is with
you all day long how often during the
day do you call upon him they you rely
upon him
do you talk to him you confess to him do
you seek direction or you just go your
way time with him it doesn’t mean it
doesn’t mean need you have to give up
your job to have meditation
it simply means this that at time
whatever that time is for you and your
life you spend with him to do what to
get a sense of direction to prepare you
for what the day holds only God knows
what any day holds for any of us and so
we make decisions based on what what’s
the will of God and God listen watch
this careful I don’t even know how to
say it strong enough we are obligated to
be obedient to God if we want God’s best
he offers us his best if we if we’re
willing to be obedient to him and all of
us make decisions every day some of
which seems to be they seem to be rather
casual decisions but oftentimes those
little decisions that we think a small
carry great weight because God knows
what’s around the corner
he knows what’s on this side of the
island and that’s out of the element he
knows what’s going to happen therefore
our time of meditation is God’s time
with a caution light to stop lighting
the green light and sometimes you pray
and you think this is what all to do and
what’s God doing he’s sending you a
yellow light caution be be careful or he
sends the red light don’t do that don’t
do it all the green light it’s I know
it’s God loves us enough to make it
crystal clear and decisions we make in
life watch this rank doesn’t make
someone wise if they’re not godly and
oftentimes people in high positions make
bad decisions
it’s our relationship to God our
relationship to the Lord that makes us
either wise or unwise and so when you’re
meditating upon the scriptures remember
that God has something to say to you
does it mean that he will speak as
clearly every time no it doesn’t that’s
sometimes I’ve read passages and I’ve
said Lord then what are you saying to me
and it may be that even while I’m
reading and praying I don’t get it then
but I know in my heart he wouldn’t lead
me to read a passive ship ship he didn’t
have something to say and if you are
fearful then just get in the songs
you’ll find something that’ll speak to
you if you’ll just listen carefully but
this is just an incident and I choose it
because it’s not something easy and you
wouldn’t read this normally as your
devotion because you say well you know
I’m not into sailing and I’ve never been
on a ship and I don’t intend to be so
God wouldn’t lead me here yes he would
he would lead you him because what to
warn you about what you listen to who
you listen to and what’s the word of
God’s place in your life and here’s what
happens when you disobey God there was
he leads all of us in every single way
emotionally he leads us financially what
you should buy not to buy who you ought
to marry all the circumstances of your
life God is involved so when I ask you
what should you pray about what would
you say let me ask you this I say that
give me your answer loudly what should
you pray about everything is up for
prayer Lord show me about this sometimes
things that appear to be little
decisions have awesome consequences
that’s why we learn to trust him they
give him time to meditate upon him
listening to him reading his word cat
what will you and sometimes person says
to me but they’re presages of Scripture
I don’t understand John the crowd that
there’s some passages that are hard to
understand do you listen to the majority
listen to God tell you wait until you
wait to the circumstances are just right
or do you until what God said there do
you remember that you don’t go by
majority but by what God is and know
it’s your life in your relationship to
God is a
personal thing you’ve not heard me tell
you how to have your devotions or what
you should do but the fact that you that
you develop your relationship with him
in such a way that whatever is good for
you whatever works for you whatever time
works for you it may be if you’re a
mother your devotions not early they
want to go after everybody’s gone it’s
just you and your household in other
words you choose the time that you best
are able to get alone with God listen to
him about you what do you think he’s
saying to you it’s a personal private
but also a very essential part of your
life because that’s the way God wants us
to live how is that connected to him and
when I think of the whole idea of
meditation that that’s my connection
you’re busy every day you miss your
playing or whatever you’re doing you’re
busy what’s their connection but we have
a connection watch this that’s not seen
we have an invisible connection unseen
and that connection is with almighty
omnipotent omnipresent omniscient loving
God it’s a connection that you do not
want a broken it’s a connection that you
want to be the anchor in your life keep
you listening to him obeying him
trusting him doing your best to follow
his guidance and direction for your life
it’s this awesome gift he’s given us
this connection with holy God that all
of us have the moment we trust Jesus
Christ as our Savior so somebody says
well what about this meditation business
you say what’s my connection and they
say what is my connection they say what
do you mean by that you said I’m so glad
you asked me then you can explain just
what we’re talking about it’s your
relationship with Jesus time you have
along with him where you listen to him
and talk to him yield to him surrender
to him times that you obey him times you
may commit a commitment about where you
live what you wear what you drive how
you spend what you buy what you don’t
how you treat others how you respond to
that region it’s all wrapped up in that
relationship there’s so much in this
passage and the reason I choose that
passage is because you wouldn’t normally
read a whole chapter as your devotion so
what has that got to do with me now you
know the Bible is full of it the Bible
is loaded with truths and if you read
some things you may have to read twice
if some things had three more than once
nothing called Lord what are you saying
to me about this he’s always willing to
show us the truth if we’re willing to
listen now think about this every single
day of our life we had absolutely
subject to the power of God we have the
privilege of having a relationship with
him we have the power within us and the
Holy Spirit to do the right thing every
time if we will choose to do it he is
working in our behalf
continually but that relationship must
be nurtured and fed and you’ve simply
called it what we talked about here
meditation time you spend alone with him
so ask yourself this question when
you’re in the process of making a
decision are you willing to risk a
shipwreck in your life are you willing
to be obedient to God and let him show
you what he’s willing to do what he’s
willing to provide that whole chapter is
a there’s a lot here to think about and
to focus on to meditate on and I choose
the whole chapter because normally we
wouldn’t
and you might go home today and sit down
read that chapter again thank you okay
yeah here am i and here’s where I am
here’s what I have here’s what I’m not
sure about what do you want me to do and
somebody says do you think God really
speaks to us absolutely he does watch
this carefully your personal private
devotional intimate time of meditation
is the most valuable protective thing
you have somebody says I’m not I’m too
over that no you are not or somebody
says oh I haven’t been a Christian very
long you desperately need it we all need
it every single one of us every single
day and it matters not how many sermons
I’ve preached thousands but I am just as
needy before the Lord Jesus Christ today
as I was the first message ever preached
listen he never fields those up that we
don’t need anymore he fills it up
limitless it’s always flowing toward us
if we’ll take advantage of it and if
you’ve never trusted Jesus as your
Savior I want you to think about this
you’re floating out on one piece of wood
in the middle of the Mediterranean no
hope in sight in the middle of a storm
thundering and lightning big waves
taking you 20 feet high and down up and
down you go and nothing in sight and no
help in sight you don’t have any
assurance whereas if you have devotions
in your life if you have time for
meditation
you’re like a person who’s anchored so
perfectly anchored that no storm can
upset you no matter what
it begins with trust in Christ as your
Savior he’s your
and I trusted that you’ve never done
that trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your
Savior get anchored up with him
connected to the Lord Jesus Christ watch
him do the most awesome work in your
life you’ll have a testimony you can’t
keep quiet when God begins to work in
your life although we love in praise you
and we bless your Holy Name thank you
for giving us this chapter thank you for
reminding us that we’re totally
dependent upon you and reminding us that
you are always always available to hear
us we’ll never have a too busy sign
never here too busy voice loved us
enough to always give us clear direction
in our life I pray this message would
sink deep into our hearts the heart of
every person who hears it applied to
their heart make the awesome difference
you intend for it to make thank you for
loving us enough to be personally
involved enough that personally answer a
petitions personally give us God’s
personally provide for us we thank you
and praise you for it in Jesus name Amen
you