Thursday, October 26
Acts 27:21-25
After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 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.”
Devotional:
As these words are written, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have just devastated parts of the United States. There has been death, pain, fear and destruction. In this passage, we find the Apostle Paul as a prisoner and as he is being transferred to Rome they encounter a hurricane-like storm. The last part of verse 20 gives us a measure of the morale of those on the ship – “we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” Clearly, the crew and passengers are without hope. Yet in five short verses, Paul exhorts the ship and its entire crew to not be afraid by telling the people (three times) to have courage. Paul gained confidence and courage from an encounter with a holy angel of God (see PrayLiveGive – Day 7verses 23-24). In the end all lives were saved because of the mercy and promise of God.
Storms come into our lives. Sometimes these storms are physical. Sometimes the storm is spiritual. Sometimes a storm is of our own doing, yet at other times they come without warning. However, hope (a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen) in any storm is vital. Understand, Paul’s hope was rooted in the promises of God. Christian hope can be defined like this: having or keeping a godly expectation for my life that is rooted in God’s promises.
For example, we hope for salvation (as a believer in Christ) because of His finished work on the cross. This hope is founded on the promises of God. God tells us in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Take heart and have courage; God has made a way of rescue.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, as I live my life (in storms and in calmness) help me to keep my expectations rooted in the everlasting promises of Your Word (the Bible). Thank you for the free gift of salvation and the opportunities that you provide to share my faith with others. I pray you would give me courage in the midst of the storms of life.
Application:
GIVE hope to someone who is in the midst of a storm. Share with them how Paul was able to have hope in the midst of his situation. Share how you are able to have hope in God’s promises and courage when tough times come your way. Let God’s words to you affect your life… that you might GIVE God’s hope to others too.