God use his miracles for a purpose to spread the gospel but it does not mean we do not go through the bitten of a serpent. Paul felt the bite of the serpent and shook it off. It was a poisonous viper and the tribe on the island that the prisoner ship because they were shipwrecked, The ship had come apart at sea and not Paul a prisoner with other prisoners tended the fire. A viper/snake bit the hand coming out of the fire from the bundle of wood. How much does a person have to take in life. Paul was not having a good day or was he. First he was still alive from a shipwreck, second he lived after a viper bite that was poisonous. God was using the situation before the tribes mean whose chief would ask for Paul to come because of his sick son. One opportunity Paul had to share the Gospel. Yet he was in chains. Men have a fear of what they understand not. They thought Paul was some kind of god on that island. People’s reaction to miracles in one’s life might be to make them a star or worse some type of god. Yet God would use it as a testimony for himself. A chance for Paul to witness to a people who not Jesus.

When bad things happen with blessings of survival, and miracles God is wanting to do something in the lives of others. We can not ignore the evidence of God’s working when the chief would ask to speak to Paul It is our ignorance to think God can not use a simple viper bite and a ship wreck as a testimony. God needs people to testify for His glory. The evidence of His ability to protect even from dangerous things in life. We are not to go out seeking dangerous, it is a part of living. One faces a storm by default and they did not have a weather forecaster other then God. God did warn Paul to warn the captain of the ship before they left the other mainland. God does testify despite man’s stupidity of not believing. God was not through with the captain of a ship. For that healing of the chief son and people there would be a testimony to those with Paul.

Do not think Paul did not swallow to much water, or felt the sting of the bite of the snake, or did not feel discuss by people being sick ever. He was a mere man. Yet he still praising God despite the events around him. As Christians we are not the exception always to the rule but a testimony to times of trouble with God’s divine intervention in our life for proof of God. Seeking a storm is dangerous. Live life and when trouble comes, be prepared to allow God to use you despite how you feel. After nearly drowning Paul was tending the fire. We have to stand up and keep moving despite what comes. Learning to is half the battle.

One can think that Jesus did not suffer for our sake so He could rise up from the grave. We can not ignore God’s power to lift Christ up, or draw man to Himself. Yet the battle is not ours, it is a battle of God’s calling to stand up and be accounted for in his army, using those time of trouble for God’s glory. You sick today, you tired today, you hurting today can you stand up and say God is my healer, my friend, my provider in difficult times. Can you say despite what I go through God is still in charge. To know those things is not enough, we must declare it. God grace is sufficient in life’s storms. God saving power in the storms of life is enough to know Christ lives today. Yet it only through storms we understand our own humanity and frailty. God uses our spiritual strength for His glory as well as our weakness.

Dear Heavenly Father let us remember your power and glory can and will be used in troublesome times. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Countdown To Thanksgiving 8 Days left: Thank God for His power in times of trouble and hardship.