But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong 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.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. (Acts 27:22-25)
When the situation looks dire and it appears to be relentless, it is understandable to consider desperate measures.
In the storm that hit the boat that Paul was on including soldiers and prisoner, it is more than understandable that they feared for their lives. In as much as Paul could have dwelt on the ‘told you so’ factor there is something instructive on his faith in God. Faith not just for himself but for all those on the ship. Some of these prisoners may well have ‘deserved’ a grisly fate, perhaps even one or two of the soldiers had an attitude that deserved to end in the bottom of the deep blue sea.
That was not Paul’s motivation and that was not Paul’s conviction. As a man who lived because of good news, he was in a position to demonstrate the good news for the sake of others.
Some of us see the declaration of the good news as just something we announce and then hope the rotters will rot for not believing. Here is the heart of a man who wanted all to witness the saving nature of God and whose faith was compelling enough to convince a ship to believe and hold on to the end.
Let’s walk by faith and live in hope so that those around us in this ship of life will also not drown in sin, but be rescued.
For his Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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