Day 7: All who sail with you
‘Do not be afraid, Paul… God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you’ (Acts 27:24).
Heavenly Father, You are God of the the heavens and the earth, and nothing is possible except for Your sovereign will. You are the God who says of Yourself, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen” (Isaiah 14:24).
You have assured us that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). We quote those words often, especially to others, but in our own struggles we confess that we have difficulty with many of the circumstances that fall under "all things."
Yet You have promised that Your great and mighty hand unceasingly weaves Your perfect design into every detail of life and existence. And in Your mighty providence and great compassion, Your grace covers us and those around us as You accomplish Your good purpose.
We see this in the life of the apostle Paul. From the early days of his calling, You had declared, "This man is My chosen instrument to proclaim My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for My name” (Acts 9:15-16).
But even in the midst of suffering, You never stopped working all things together for good (Romans 8:28 - NKJV) in Paul's life and in his circumstances. And on the difficult journey to Rome, when he faced shipwreck and peril, Your sovereign hand was at work, guiding the journey to Rome, and the journey to Your purpose.
From the beginning the voyage was hindered by complications, but Paul's warnings went unheeded (Acts 27:9-12). But when the ill-advised journey was indeed beset by peril and Paul and his fellow travelers finally gave up all hope of being saved (Acts 27:20). You sent Your angel to strengthen the heart of Your apostle, and to give him Your words of reassurance, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul… God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you’ (Acts 27:24).
Oh Lord, what comfort and encouragement we can take from Your word! For often, we too are impacted by decisions outside our control and our authority. Often, we too, are involuntary voyagers on ill-advised journeys planned and administered by owners, and pilots, and centurions who set unwise courses and refuse to listen.
Yet, Lord, all power and authority are Yours. Your purpose still stands in the wind and the waves, in the pounding of the surf, in the sandbars, and in the pieces of wreckage. And in the raging storm—in the violent battering and the perilous rocks, You strengthen the hearts of Your people with words of assurance, and You graciously deliver them, and those who journey with them.
Father, we pray for Your providence over those who sail with us in this perilous life. Thank You that in Your great mercy You save us and them. Make us channels of blessing—of deliverance—in our families, our jobs, our communities, our nations, our world.
Comments