| This sketch shows the ship that Paul had
traveled on anchored on the fourteenth day of the storm. Scholars have
calculated that a ship sailing under the conditions mentioned in Acts 27
would need just fourteen days to get from Crete to Malta. :
"And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all
to take food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and
continued without food, and eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take
nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall
from the head of any of you." And when he had said these things, he took
bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had
broken it he began to eat. Then they were all encouraged, and also took
food themselves. And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on
the ship. So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw
out the wheat into the sea.
When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but
they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship
if possible. And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea,
meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the
wind and made for shore. But striking a place where two seas met, they ran
the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the
stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.
And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest
any of them should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wanting to
save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who
could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest, some
on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all
escaped safely to land."
- Acts
27:33-44
| Heart Message
Paul’s Ship To
Malta
Last night an angel of the God whose I am
and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul.
You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you
the lives of all who sail with you.' Acts 27:23, 24
A
trainer at work instructed me to “make myself indispensable” by
gaining expertise in as many jobs, tasks, and positions as possible.
Whenever a task was offered her that wasn’t her suit, she would
cheerfully respond, “no problem, its job
security”.
When the Apostle Paul’s life was threatened
through this terrible storm, he seemed to be walking in “kingdom
security”. God had plans for his future that Paul submitted to. He
had to “stand trial before Caesar”. He was doing his part in making
himself “indispensable” as a worker. Of course, all analogies break
down, and without pretending to come up with a formula for long
life, or presumably explain why good or bad things happen to any of
us, it is still notable that this ship was saved, because someone
was walking in their call, and their mission was not
complete.
Sometimes wisdom can be gained by inverting
the situation. Had Paul not been on this ship, would God have saved
the lives of those on board? No one can know for sure, but if
someone put a gun to my head, and demanded that I choose the most
likely answer, I would have to say no. Paul made clear that if they
didn’t all stay with him on board, the gracious deal that God had
offered was off.
In an attempt to escape from the ship,
the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were
going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the
centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship,
you cannot be saved." So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the
lifeboat and let it fall away.
This scripture implies
that it’s safer to be in the will of God in a dangerous storm, than
out of the will of God on dry land. Sometimes we have to cut the
ropes of our own lifeboats to gain the full protection of the Lord’s
direction and will. Lest we fear because we don’t know the will of
God, we can simply say everyday, “thy kingdom come, thy will be
done, in my life, as it is in heaven.” Let us risk more to follow
what the Lord has spoken to our hearts, than try to play it safe
because of our fears of people.
Let us dream again the dreams he instilled in
our hearts being willing to cast another net into the ocean, though
we toiled all night catching nothing. And let us not fear the wind
and waves, or loss of ship, but rather keep our focus on His will,
His desire, and His purpose for our lives, knowing that He will
bring us to His appointments on his calendar, in his season, and may
He over flow grace to those around us.
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