Daily Direction Reading PlanSample

John Milton first coined the phrase “silver lining” back in 1634. Since then, the phrase evolved into the proverb, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” What people usually mean by it is that you can often find good even in very bad situations. When the Apostle Paul left Palestine for Rome to appeal to Caesar, he hardly anticipated such a rough trip. He and his fellow companions ran into a violent storm. For weeks, the ship’s crew fought angry winds and tried frantically to control the ship. Surprisingly, God did not stop the storm for Paul and his companions. God just assured him that everything would be all right. The ship broke apart, and by swimming and clinging to parts of the broken ship, they made it to shore, just as God had told Paul. When they reached land, they discovered it was the island of Malta. The local people welcomed them and built a fire for them. During their three-month stay, Paul performed two miracles. He shook off his hand a poisonous snake without suffering any ill effects, and he healed the wife of a local official. These miracles became a testimony of God’s power and love for these people. It is amazing that God did not stop the storm. Instead, God protected Paul and his companions during the storm. There is a lesson in this for us: Sometimes God takes us through difficult situations instead of taking us around them.