Fair Havens or Phoenix?

I want to describe two options you could have at a point of making a decision and the destination any option you choose could get you; FAIR HAVENS, PHOENIX and CLAUDA. The beautiful thing is that at each of this point, God never let you go.



Paul was on his way to Rome with some other prisoners beating into the wind with great difficulty and moving slowly along the Southern coast, they arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea (Acts 27 vs 8-15). FAIR HAVENS is an exposed harbor, which had no shelter, a poor place to spend the winter. Fair Havens had no covering, and it was a place of risk, not a comfort zone. But, it was meant to prevent deadly loss.

The weather was becoming dangerous, for long voyages by then, because it was late in the year, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it, he made them know from what he perceived in the spirit that trouble is ahead and they may lose their cargo, and there may be injuries and death. But the officers in charge of the prisoners listened more to the Ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul. Who do you listen to?

They saw Paul’s advice as not professional. Paul didn’t have any experience in sailing. It was obvious Fair Haven was an unsafe place but Paul had read through the Spirit and he knew that was the right place to winter. Despising Paul’s advice, most of the crew suggested trying to go further up the coast to PHOENIX. PHOENIX was a good harbor with only a Northwest and Southwest exposure. A place with very little risk and was promising to the natural mind.

Immediately they took the decision to winter at PHOENIX a light wind began blowing south and it looked like a perfect day for the trip. However, shortly afterwards, the weather changed abruptly and a heavy wind of typhoon strength caught the ship and blew it out to sea. It was a terrible experience. They finally sailed behind a small Island named CLAUDA where they had to let go of their cargo. They lost everything at that point.

Where are you? FAIR HAVENS, PHOENIX or CLAUDA?

Yes, we are all on a journey in this world. It gets to a point when the wind blows heavily and you need to decide where to harbor. Who you listen to determines where you harbor and where you harbor determines where you end. FAIR HAVENS seems so unsafe, it looks so hostile and is the toughest risk you could take but it’s meant to help you avoid deadly loss. It doesn’t correlate with normal senses and human wisdom.
On the other hand, PHOENIX looks like the best option because it’s just obvious it’s safer, it’s a good harbor, a comfort zone. However, it is temporal, its end is CLAUDA, a place where man loses everything he has and weariness sets in.

Are you still at the point of making that grave decision? Don’t just follow your intellectual mind, that option that looks so appealing to the senses may lead to CLAUDA, a place of loss and weariness. Ask the Spirit!

Are you already at CLAUDA having sought harbor at PHOENIX? That’s a state where you feel you have lost everything, and nothing good could come out of you again. God still got you, be humble and seek Him back, He will get you to the Island of Malta where you will be refreshed, welcomed with kindness and get back on the journey.

As you go this week don’t just do it because it appeals to the senses, exercise the spiritual!

Be Innovated
Olufemi Ibitoye
@toyeolufemi