Karen Limmer

Acts 27: 21-26 NIV
After the men 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 whose I am 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.”

Reflection:
There are several storm stories in the Bible, which provide metaphors for difficult times in life. I think we are all going through a storm right now. Some of us are weathering it well, while some of us are being swept up in the currents and winds. 

In the storm of Acts 27, Paul and other prisoners are sailing for Rome. Their trip is delayed multiple times until they are faced with the choice of sailing during a known bad weather season or further delaying their journey. Sailing during this season would be like taking a cruise from Galveston during August – you are betting against a hurricane! Paul warns the sailors that they should not continue the journey due to likely danger. But they ignore the warning, and sure enough, “a wind of hurricane force, called the ‘northeaster,’ swept down.” Many of us on the Gulf Coast know what this type of wind feels like. And it lasted for 14 days! I cannot imagine the fear.

After many days of violent seas, loss of cargo, and near misses, Paul does something quite striking. Paul the prisoner, trying to keep his grip on this ship being rocked by a storm, calmly “stood before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail… but… keep your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” Sounds like Paul gave them a big fat “I told you so.” Paul goes on, “Last night an angel of the God…stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul’…so keep up your courage men, for I have faith in God.” I wonder if his fellow voyagers believed him? I am afraid my response would have been an annoyance. “Shut up Paul, and help me with this rope. I’m trying to save the ship.” I certainly have a habit of relying on myself before asking for help from God. 

I am jealous of Paul’s clarity. I wish I could hear and believe a direct message from God. I would love to be sailing through this pandemic with clarity and confidence. Maybe most of us are not like Paul in this story, but how do we respond to the messages God sends us? Do we hear him? Do we listen? Do we believe him?

Guess what? At the end of Acts 27, God’s promise to Paul is, of course, fulfilled. All the men are saved. And I expect we too will see the other side of our current storm, perhaps with bruises and a damaged ship, but maybe listening more closely.

Prayer:
God, thank you for always being present in calm moments and during storms. Please help me listen and help me hear you. Please guide us through our current storm and through those to come. Amen.