Devotional Acts Week 17

Acts: Safe in the Storm

August 26, 2012

Acts 27:21-26

Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss.  But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.  For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’  So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.  But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

Paul finds himself on a boat headed to stand before the Roman emperor as a prisoner.  The journey is long and difficult.  Strong winds and storms plagued the ship throughout.  Paul takes this time to get to know the captain and crew on the ship.  To them he offers a warning of bad weather, which they do not listen too.  When Paul is proven right they are more willing to listen when he tells them they will be safe in the storm.  Sometimes being heard requires patience and grace. 

This was no small storm.  For 14 days the crew battled the sea and the storm.  They did not eat during that time.  They tossed cargo overboard.  At one point they thought to abandon ship and lowered lifeboats only to cut the boats free at Paul’s warning of trouble.  276 people ate one meal at Paul’s direction.  The next day they found land, cut their anchors, and headed to shore.  Along the way the boat gets stuck and breaks apart.  All 276 people made it to shore just as Paul had promised.  Considering the circumstances, this is a miracle.

The storm came, but it did not stop God’s purpose.  The storm lasted for a long time, but it did not stop God from keeping people safe.  The storm destroyed property, finances, and why physically difficult, but it did not destroy the people God was protecting.  God is always greater than the storm.  God will always be greater than the storm.  If all our attention is focused on the storm we won’t find safety.  When we focus on God in the midst of the storm we find safety and peace.

Each of us faces storms in life.  Perhaps some of us have been shipwrecked emotionally, financially, physically, or relationally.  We cannot deny the power of the storm.  But we can take courage.  God is with us in the storms of life.  God is greater than the storms of life.  God will bring us safely through.  What does taking courage look like for you today?