Read: Acts 27:1-11; 14-18; 21-25
An angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship . . . said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar.” (vv. 23-24)
Last autumn, as mentioned earlier, my wife and I went on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. It was a beautiful cruise with perfect weather and an extremely calm sea. That, however, is not always the case as the apostle Paul found out in his last sea voyage. His trip to Rome included a boisterous northeaster and ended in shipwreck.
If you have ever been through a storm at sea, you can understand why passengers and crew were so afraid. But there was one person who was not afraid, and it was not the ship’s captain. I’m talking about the Jewish tentmaker, Paul. He was not an experienced sailor who was accustomed to watching the sky and the sea. No, he was tuned in to something else. His directions came from on high.
Paul’s earlier advice to not set sail for the island of Crete had been rejected by Julius, the centurion. They had set sail anyway, and the result was disastrous. But despite that, Paul once again had some reassuring words for all on board: they would all be spared because God’s indestructible plan was for Paul to stand before Caesar.
We all need reassuring words at times. Thankfully we have a storehouse of treasures in God’s Word through which he assures us again and again of his presence and power. —John Koedyker
As you pray, ask God to speak to you his words of comfort and assurance.
About the Author
Rev. John Koedyker has been a pastor in the Reformed Church in America for more than forty years. His ministry began in Japan where he served as a missionary for ten years. After that he has served churches in Iowa and Michigan. He has served as the Stated Clerk of Muskegon Classis, RCA, for the past sixteen years and also presently serves as pastor of congregational care at First Reformed Church of Grand Haven, Michigan. John has written a number of times previously for Words of Hope and he has a bi-monthly religion column in the Grand Haven Tribune. He is married to Marilyn, and they have four grown children and seven grandchildren.
