Important

Paul is being transported to Rome for trial on a large cargo ship that's carrying 276 passengers. They suddenly get hit by a massive storm system that batters and threatens to destroy them for two weeks.

Acts 27:14
But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. (A cyclonic tempestuous northeast wind which blows in the Mediterranean.) The ship took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to lighten the ship.
On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands.

Acts 27:19
And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. Paul has a visit by an angelic host that tells him that there will be no loss on any one's life.

Acts 27:22
And now I exhort (encourage) you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.

Acts 27:23
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Acts 27:24
Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Acts 27:25
Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

Storms come in all our lives and that's for sure. Do you know what a storm will do? A storm will let us know what really matters and what really doesn't. The storm hits and what does the crew start doing? Throwing things overboard; first thing they did was lighten the ship

Acts 27:18
And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; But that was not enough so they threw the ship's equipment overboard. Things didn't get any better so they dumped the cargo

Acts 27:38
And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

Before this storm is over even the ship itself will be lost, but no lives will be lost.

Acts 27:41
And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

You and I live in one of the wealthiest nations on the face of the earth. We have many things that we could do without and sometimes God sends a storm to help see what is most important. As my pastor says "one phone call could change your life." One afternoon I received a phone call; my wife had been in an automobile accident and that phone call changed everything that was important. I headed as fast as I could to where she was at; I didn't even make sure the house was locked or anything for at that moment none of that was important. As I got closer to the accident the cars were backed up so I took off down the shoulder of the highway; it didn't matter the only thing going on in my mind was get to where she was. When I got there I jumped out of the car and ran to where she was; she had been hurt but nothing like what was going on in my mind. The storm came up and nothing was more important than my wife. Like those on that ship we began to get rid of those things that aren't all that important. Sometimes God sends storms to cleanse our life and sometimes to set new priorities in our life. He removes that which blocks the view of what's really important. Sometimes storms help us to see what is really important and without them we just might get glued on the stuff that's nice to have but we can do without. We need to ask ourselves what is really important!