THE LIVING CHURCH
Meditations in the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 27:33-44

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ALTHOUGH Paul is a prisoner he takes the lead in comforting and reassuring all the people on the stricken ship. All on board had gone through fourteen days of severe hardship and danger. They had not eaten much over that period of time because they had to struggle with the terror of their situation. Now at a moment of respite, as they wait for day break so that they can see how to get ashore, Paul seeks to build them up, even though he was a prisoner, and was a prisoner quite unjustly.

Here is a wonderful example of Christian love and caring and selflessness. Here is an example that we could do well to emulate. Paul really showed the love of Christ, and the power of the Gospel, and lived the eternal hope we have in Christ.

Not only does Paul seek to encourage them to eat and keep up their strength, but he leads by example. He encourages them to eat by taking up food himself and eating before them. Further, Paul shares with them his confidence in God. He tells them (v.34) "Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." Paul’s faith and close living with God is revealed here. He believed God that he was to witness to Christ in Rome and before the Roman Emperor, and he nurtured this faith by close communion with God. In this way Paul had the assurance of God that he would get safely through the storm. Further he received confidence from God that all in the ship would be saved too. He passed this assurance on, for the encouragement of all on the ship.

Notice how Paul’s presence benefited all the people on the ship. Because God’s purpose for his servant Paul was that he should reach Rome safely, all those with Paul benefited from the protection of God which was surrounding Paul. Christians in society have this blessed effect on the community in which they reside. God, for the sake of his people, blesses the whole community in which his people live. This is the love and common grace of God. The ships owner and the captain both made foolish decisions which caused the ship to be in the plight it was. They refused to listen to God speaking through Paul, yet God saved them with Paul.

Notice also how Paul also gives thanks to God publicly before the whole ship’s company (v.35). We must not run away with the idea that this was simply saying grace before the meal. It was this, but it was much more. Paul was thanking God for his blessings and provision, and testifying thereby to the fact that we are dependent on God, and that all God’s provision is given in grace and love. Paul was also indicating his faith that God had preserved them all in the storm up to this point, and was an act of faith that he would preserve them safely to land. How often, when things go badly for us, do we blame God and complain. Paul does not speak or act like this. He lives in the knowledge that God’s provision is always of grace and love, because we have fallen short of his glory, and only deserve condemnation. He lives in the conviction that God’s grace is always poured out upon us, and we owe him for all the blessings of life.

Even though the ship had come so far, and the land was in sight, the people on the ship still had a difficult way ahead. One would have hoped that all would be plain sailing from then on, and having hoisted the sail, they would find their way to the beach. Instead they found themselves still a long way from shore, stuck fast on a sand bank. There they were, with the ship being pounded by the waves, and the stern breaking up. How discouraging this must have been. We may well ask why God allowed this further trial. We can’t answer this, but we must hold hard to our faith in God in such times of the testing of our faith. Certainly our faith grows stronger through such times of testing, and so we prove that all things do work together for good for them that love God.

Faith was vindicated. God’s promise to Paul that all would reach land safely was proved and fulfilled. We read at the end of these verses that "in this way everyone reached land safely". What we may be sure of is that God will never let us down, and his promises will never fail. Such historical accounts as these are meant to assure of this, and are there to strengthen our faith and courage when we are going through hard times, and dangerous trials. Let us take this lesson of faith and confidence in God to our hearts and minds.