And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. Acts 27:13
Usually, mariners don’t like a south wind. When the south wind blows, it does so with such gentle force that the ship makes very little headway. The warm and gentle south wind is little more than a breeze, and its warmth causes the sailors to relax and do little work. A south wind often lulls the crew into carelessness, so that when a squall occurs, it can cause a tragedy. Sometimes, a south wind drops into a dead calm, leaving the ship at the mercy of the ocean currents. In our text, the south wind should have been a warning to the ships masters, but they ignored the warning.
By setting sail in a south wind, the captain of the ship on which Paul was a prisoner expected to make the voyage to Phenice within a few hours. The south wind allowed him to take a route that would cut many hours and much distance from the trip. All the captain could see was the great savings in time and money that was available. So he took the risk. He was like so many around us who are lulled into complacency by the south wind of prosperity, good health, and high living. When economic times are good, the money rolls in, and our society provides plenty of enjoyable ways to spend that money. Our peaceful country offers safety and security, and there are few perils for anyone to worry about. But like the south wind on the Mediterranean, the good times and fair conditions don’t last nearly as long as anyone expects. The squalls of bad health, unemployment, and personal disasters can sweep in at a moment’s notice and create chaos and confusion. People who have had no interest in the eternal welfare of their souls find themselves helpless and hopeless. Sadly, that is a story that is all too common around us, as people wait far too long to take an interest in the message of the Gospel. Like ships that the south wind lulls into carelessness, people are lulled into a false sense of safety that leaves them open to the loss of their very souls. But the south winds also are a danger to Christians.
The letter to the Assembly in Laodicea is a tale of the south wind blowing softly among the saints of God. In terms of this world’s goods and experience, those folks were well off and content. But they forgot that the good times last only so long, and the coffers of self sufficiency are drained all too soon. Christians who find themselves sailing to a south wind are ill prepared for the storms that will surely come. They lack the exercise that would have them strive to see family and friends reached with the Gospel. They fail to fill up their souls with the Word of God and with the fellowship of the Lord’s people. And so, they have little but a life of emptiness when the storms sweep all of earth’s trappings away.
Beware the south wind. Its soft breezes often blow only in the direction of disaster and loss. -Jim MacIntosh