Wed.’s Devo - Safety in the Storm

Read: 1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14; Acts 27:21-44; Psalm 8:1-9; Proverbs 18:23-24 The census of all the families who had lived in Israel were written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. The first people to return from the Babylonian exile were the priests, Levites, Temple servants and other Israelites. They were from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. *** Their family names were recorded. One thousand, seven hundred and sixty priests returned who were heads of their clans and very able men. The names of the Levites, gatekeepers, and musicians were all recorded. *** Chapter Ten takes us back to the battlefield where Saul and his three sons were killed. Saul was wounded and asked his armor-bearer to kill him so he wouldn’t be captured by the Philistines and tortured. His armor-bearer couldn’t do it so Saul fell on his own sword. When Saul and his sons died, his dynasty had come to an end. The army of Israel learned of their deaths and fled and the Philistines occupied their towns. *** When the Philistines found the body of Saul and his sons, they took his armor and cut off his head and fastened it to the temple of Dagon. They rejoiced throughout their land. *** The people of Jabesh-gilead heard about what the Philistines had done and their warriors went and brought the bodies of Saul and his sons back to Jabesh and buried their bones and fasted for seven days. *** Saul had died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. His kingdom was turned over to David, a man after the heart of God. *** In Acts, the men on the ship Paul was on had not eaten for a long time because they were fighting the storm. He called the crew together and told him they should have listened to him when he told them not to leave Crete, but, he had a new word from the Lord. An angel had come to him the night before and told him not to be afraid because they would live through this. He would stand before Caesar and everyone with him in the boat would live. So he encouraged them to put their trust in God. He also told them they would be shipwrecked on an island. *** A few nights later, the fourteenth night of the storm, they found they were coming close to land. The sailors tried to escape on the lifeboat, saving themselves, but Paul told them that if they didn’t stay with the ship, they would die. So they cut the ropes of the lifeboat and let it slip away. *** As the day was dawning, Paul encouraged the men to eat something since they hadn’t eaten in two weeks. He took bread and gave thanks to God and broke it and gave it to them all. There were 276 aboard the boat. They then threw the cargo of wheat overboard. Finally, they saw land. The bow of the ship stuck in the sand and the boat broke apart. The commander let the prisoners swim aboard because he wanted to spare Paul’s life. *** It is amazing how going through a crisis together bonds hearts together even when they were once enemies. God used Paul to save the lives of all who were on board to get Paul where he needed him to be to testify of him and to show all the men on board who He was. *** Lord, help us to see the bigger picture. Enlarge our vision. We are here for Your glory, not ours. May your majestic name fill the earth. May we find you in our storms.