“Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside meand 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.”
Acts 27:23-24 (NIV)
Paul’s guardian angel appeared and stood beside him, assuring him that God will keep all who are on the ship with him safe. Paul repeated the angel’s words to the Roman guards on the ship. They were all enroute to Rome, with other prisoners, to stand trial before Caesar. The ship was being pummeled by a violent cyclone storm on the Adriatic Sea, called a Northeaster. It was so bad that everyone on board was sure they would die.
The storm lasted for days and after two weeks, no one had eaten, both from fear and seasickness. Paul took bread, prayed over it, blessed it, and gave it to everyone on board. The total number of prisoners and guards on that ship were 276 people. After Paul prayed, they ate, and were all encouraged.
The ship finally got wedged into a sandbar and wouldn’t move any further, meaning they would all have to swim a short distance from there to an island. The Roman guards decided to kill all the prisoners rather than risk that they would escape while under their authority. One centurion stopped them, because he wanted to save Paul, and probably came to trust in God, so no prisoners were killed. The mangled ship landed near an island called Malta. It was all part of the providence of God as circumstances will soon reveal.
The natives of Malta were very hospitable and gave the shipwreck survivors food and shelter. Divine providence caused the ship to stop on the side of the island, owned by a wealthy man named Publius. It so happened that the father of Publius was very sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. Publius was not only grateful, but believed. After this took place, the rest of the sick people on the island came to Paul and were all cured.
God obviously wanted Paul to evangelize the people of Malta, and that cyclone storm and shipwreck were part of His plan to get Paul to that particular side of Malta. In the process, Paul also evangelized all the people on the ship. It wasn’t by chance or luck that Publius decided to buy them every provision they needed to set sail again.
God always has a plan during and after every storm. In Paul’s case, it was to lead him to people who needed to be healed and saved through faith in Jesus. God even had a plan on how to get the 276 people back to their original destination of Rome, by sending the wealthiest man on the island to provide for all their needs, in gratitude to Paul for healing his father.
God not only had a plan, to lead Paul to the right people, at the right time, through the right circumstances, but He had great compassion on all the men aboard that ship, by speaking through an angel, to console them, promising no life would be lost, and it came true.
Sometimes God’s divine purpose is accomplished through frightening and upsetting situations. The guards almost killed every prisoner, but they didn’t. They could all have been lost at sea, but they were all saved. They were all in the perfect place at the perfect time for God’s perfect will to be done, to reach the people of Malta with the gospel.
He also comforts us when we are in distress through the breaking of bread and prayer. He leads us to the right people, at the right time, through the right circumstances, because He also has a plan for us after the storm. That is our God, so loving and compassionate, and He is still the same yesterday, today and forever.
Lord, help us to trust your divine providence, and your perfect will, despite the storms, threats or shipwrecks of life. You are supreme, and almighty, yet full of compassion, and we place our lives in your hands. Amen