Dear friends, while everyone was getting used to the yearlong Russia-Ukraine war, no one imagined that another war would erupt on a large scale between Israel and the Hamas. And now, there are fears that the conflict could spill over into a broader war involving other countries in the region including Iran that is armed with nuclear warfare.
While experts are predicting the possibility of World War 3, heaven has already been warning God’s people through various Catholic Seers about an apocalypse-like situation that is going to descend upon the world in our times as described by Jesus in Matthew 24:21. And therefore, we must heed these warnings. The soft breeze is going to turn into a storm very soon.
It has always been in God’s nature to warn His people whenever danger is approaching. The Sovereign LORD never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. (Amos 3:7). But often, it takes us some time to believe that what has been foretold will surely happen.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we are told of the incident where Paul is being taken as a prisoner to Rome. And along with him are many others, including Luke who has written the Book of Acts. At one stage, they board the ship that is supposed to take them to Italy. The weather was making it difficult for them to sail. But they sail on until they reach a place called Safe Harbors, where Paul is warned by God in advance that the journey ahead would be very perilous.
In fact, God did so because He wanted to save Paul, Luke, and others on board who worshipped Him. And so, Paul conveys the message to the army officer, "Men, I see that our voyage from here on will be dangerous; there will be great damage to the cargo and to the ship, and loss of life as well." (Acts 27:10). Note the warning: There will be danger to the cargo, the ship and the lives of the people.
But then we are told… the army officer was convinced by what the captain and the owner of the ship said, and not by what Paul said. (Acts 27:11). This is the greatest crisis that even good Christians in the world are facing today. It is a crisis of faith in God; that too in these crucial times that we are living in. Even after being warned by God’s prophets, they simply don’t believe.
The reason why people don’t take God’s warning seriously is that they have their own interests and plans; and they go by their human wisdom to fulfil those plans. The army officer and his friends were in favour of spending the winter in the harbour named ‘Phoenix’. In fact, in Greek mythology, the name is linked to ‘renewed youth’. The name itself implies that it promised more pleasures compared to the modest ‘Safe Harbours’. And so they somehow wanted to get there.
A soft wind from the south began to blow, and the men thought that they could carry out their plan, so they pulled up the anchor and sailed... (Acts 27:13). What the world experienced a year ago when Russia attacked Ukraine was a soft wind. Life went on and now suddenly another war has sprung up. Is it a soft wind still? Well, to those who want to enjoy the pleasures of this world and carry out their plans and projects, it is a soft wind. As Jesus said, “It will be as it was in the time of Lot. Everybody kept on eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.” (Luke 17:28).
Only Paul, Luke and others who believed in God knew that the storm was coming. Doubtless, they got on their knees and began to pray very hard to God who could save them. It was the same God who once shook the foundations of the jail and unfastened the heavy chains that were put on Paul and Silas. Paul was confident that this time too, the same God could save him and the rest.
To be continued...