Shipwrecked for Jesus
Read the Text: Acts 27
Memorize the Text:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16, CSB)
Consider the Text: Acts 27
God works in ways that bring glory and honor to him. This does not mean that every situation in life exists because of God causing it. Instead, God allows occurrences to happen as part of his desire to allow the free choice of humanity. The existence of free choice also means that the world exists as a messed up, marred place because of sin and its effects. Through these dynamics, God works in ways that allow his children to demonstrate complete trust in him and honor him in response. In Acts 27, the apostle Paul faced a tense moment as he experienced the difficulty of a shipwreck. This event in the apostle’s life allowed him to trust the Lord for provision completely and to praise the Lord for who he is.
The apostle Paul experienced the FAVOR of the Lord in a spared life. The apostle and the crew of the ship encountered a storm as they sailed for Rome. The storm-tossed the ship to and fro and left it in shambles. The storm's intensity should have caused massive loss of life, but the Lord worked in a mighty way and showed his favor to the apostle Paul and did not allow anyone to lose their life. The working of the Lord displayed his goodness and power and occurred as he extended favor to the crew because of his promise and plan for the apostle Paul.
Paul TRUSTED in the working and ways of the Lord. Paul warned the crew to delay the journey, but the crew ignored the warning. Paul trusted that the Lord would still provide for the journey because of the need for Paul to arrive in Rome. The apostle’s reliance upon the Lord existed because Paul knew of and trusted in the providential nature of the Lord. He held a deep faith that the Lord would work and provide what would be needed because his life rested completed on the foundation of Christ. The ability to trust the Lord completely occurs when life is entirely rested on the proper foundation.
The apostle DECLARED the greatness of Christ through the shipwreck. The tragedy of the shipwreck set the stage for the apostle's ability to share God’s goodness and grace. He took what appeared to be a disaster and transformed it into a moment of divine acknowledgment and announcement so the crew could receive the opportunity to respond to Christ. The difficulties in life did not deter the apostle; instead, this moment opened the door to rejoice in the Lord and declare his glory. Difficult moments create beautiful moments of declaring the Lord.
We face moments of shipwreck in our lives. These exist due to the ability of free choice and the effects of sin. Each of these moments provides an opportunity to trust in Lord for guidance and provision. Such moments open a corridor to declare the Lord's greatness and announce and recognize his glory. As you think about the dynamics in your life, are you acknowledging the Lord’s faithfulness and greatness even through the difficulty? Are you living for God’s glory, even in moments of struggle?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
