Acts 27:20 When
neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we
finally gave up all hope of being saved. (NIV)
It must have been a terrifying experience for Paul and
his companions. In those days, most small sailing vessels hugged the shoreline
because they couldn’t navigate in the wide expanse of the sea. During daylight
hours, this was quite safe, but at nighttime or in the midst of storms, all
sorts of dangers could occur which normally ended with vessels being
shipwrecked on the rocks of the land they were following.
In today’s Biblical passage, (Acts
27:1-20) a storm which had been brewing for days, suddenly unleashes its
fierce power which will eventually doom the vessel that Paul and his companions
are sailing in. For most of the passengers and crew, faith gave way to fear and
as Luke states in his narrative, ‘we finally gave up all hope of being saved.’
Notice that Luke writes “all hope,’ not just some,
but all of it which included their faith in God’s power to save them. Paul,
however, did not let go of his hope and in the remainder of the chapter, his
faith enables everyone on board the vessel to be saved.
We all go through uncertain times and experience worrying
issues which test our faith and stretch our reliance on God to its limit. If we
have taken time to build up our faith and knowledge of God, we can find an
inner strength to help us overcome our problems. However, if we neglect our
faith and take it for granted, we may soon discover that we have very little
hope to cling to.
As we head into the season of Advent, let us try to strengthen
our commitment to God through worship, Bible study, and prayer. None of us have
any idea of what we may face in the future, so is it not a better idea to be
fully prepared for whatever may come by building up our reliance on God with
faith, hope, and love?
Point to ponder
What issues am I currently facing? How am I relying on
God to help me through them?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know all that’s going on in
our lives right now and fully understand the problems we are facing. Help us to
turn to You for wisdom and strength, guidance and care to overcome. In Your
Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to
comment on today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s image is one of
John’s new Advent drawings. If you would like to view a larger version, please
click this link: Advent 1.
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