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. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
Acts 27:21-26

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Sometimes we put ourselves in situations that go bad, even really bad. Other times, life does a sweep kick and knocks us off our feet. And sometimes it feels like someone is slowly removing the legs of the chair we’re sitting on. No matter how it happens, we can find ourselves in desperate situations. God tends to use nagging questions, difficult people, and challenging circumstances to grow us—slowly conforming us into an image of Jesus. I have found that we eventually reach a point where all we can do is choose to cast ourselves fully onto God, trusting in His love and mercy—or not, and face the difficulties that follow. The beautiful thing is that as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the difficulties and storms of life, we transform into our truer, fuller, eternal self. It’s a mysterious paradox.

In today’s Scripture, Paul had no Plan B, no alternative way around or out of the impending bad ending, except to 100 percent rely on God. His unwavering trust in God to safely deliver him and the rest of the crew did not keep the ship together. It did not prevent the loss of the cargo. But Paul’s trust in God and God’s assurance strengthened him with hope and a plan of action. This in turn gave hope and a survival plan to the rest of the people on board the ship.

Beyond the actual shipwreck on Malta, Paul’s unshakeable confidence in Jesus served as a conduit for the Holy Spirit to heal many people on the island and be a witness to the true God.

I have never been in an actual shipwreck, but I have weathered several serious storms. Each time, sooner or later, my faith in God and intense conversations with Him have strengthened me and provided direction through the storm. I continue to emerge victorious, and I believe it has helped others through similar storms. It’s always reassuring to witness God in action, helping us in ways only He can.

Next Steps

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you develop a habit of prayer first thing in the morning and then throughout each day. A deep, solid relationship with God is the best way to weather life’s storms and also provide strength and reassurance to others in your sphere of influence.

Consider (re)reading the book of Acts to go deeper in relationship with Jesus.