A FORMULA FOR DISASTER

Acts 27:14-15

Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.


Sin is like that gentle wind, it blows softly at first, luring us into believing that nothing is wrong and no one will find out; but before too long that gentle breeze so sweet and easy at first, turns into a wind of hurricane force. We're all susceptible, no matter how holy we think we are.
The next time you are caught in your own "northeaster" think back to how you got started on the wrong path. The story of David and Bathsheba gives us a pretty good road map of how we get into trouble (2 Samuel Chapter 11). Verse 1 begins, "David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army...but David remained in Jerusalem." So this one year, King David decided to stay home instead of joining his troops in battle. I have always found that interesting -- in other words, David was somewhere he shouldn't have been in the first place -- home rather than with his troops. Late one evening David goes out on the palace roof and sees a beautiful woman (Bathsheba) bathing on the roof of the next building. Why is David on the palace roof late at night? He's restless, bored and can't sleep so he's out roaming around looking for something to do. David sends for Bathsheba, and they begin an adulterous affair followed by pregnancy and the murder of her husband to cover it all up. I would say that David got himself caught in a pretty strong "northeaster."
Have you ever heard the old saying, "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop?" David was a man of action, it was in his DNA; the Lord engineered him to be a warrior and a leader. It was when he stopped being what God made him to be that he got off track. Because he was idle he became susceptible to sin's gentle wind of influence; and before long he was caught in a full "northeaster." I wonder how many times David lay awake in bed at night wishing he would have just gone with the troops like he supposed to?
In our passage today, I'll bet the sailors, as their ship was caught by winds of hurricane force weren't looking back at all the imperfections of the port they had just left. I'm sure boredom looked pretty good to them.


Are you caught in a "northeaster" right now? Are you being blown along with circumstances and consequences wildly out of control? How did you get here? Pause for a moment and stop doing (or covering up) whatever got you into this mess in the first place. Ask for the Lord's forgiveness, wisdom, provision and protection. Commit yourself to the right course today and go back to being who God made you to be.

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