A reflection on Acts 27:9-44
20 The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. (Acts 27: 20 NLT)
Paul was a prisoner en route to Rome. He had turned every previous legal appearance into an opportunity to proclaim Jesus. Though a prisoner, Paul would soon be able to proclaim the gospel in the very heart of the great Roman Empire.
Given the importance of Paul’s mission, wouldn't we expect God to give him smooth sailing? If someone is doing God’s will, surely God will open every door before them, right? Perhaps not. Rather than smooth sailing, Paul’s ship encountered a two week typhoon and was blown off course into the unknown. They were lost and didn't see the sun for days. Finally, they were shipwrecked and swam to an unknown island.
But God did not abandon Paul. Indeed, God was there all along and had already revealed to Paul that he would spare everyone’s lives. Through the terrible storm and shipwreck, not one life was lost. The sailors on the ship spread the miraculous story of their deliverance, generating great interest that preceded Paul's arrival in Rome. Paul made it to Rome and proclaimed Jesus there, without any persecution.
Like Paul, lately I have felt adrift in a storm-tossed sea. I was on a steady pace to retire. Now, I don’t know how the economic storm may affect me. My daughter was doing well in school. Now, I don’t even know if there will even be school come fall. I had a job I felt I could count on. Now, who knows? With the economy the way it is, how long might it be before I’m let go? And if let go, how will I find work? How will I feed my family? Being adrift in uncertain times is unsettling, to say the least.
But I draw great encouragement from Paul, my brother who went before me. His “storms and shipwrecks” were real and many, yet God somehow brought him through. So also will God be faithful to me. By God’s grace, there will be a way.
Notes: Originally written April 2020. Slightly revised August 2022.
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