"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 to whom I belong 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’" (Acts 27:22-24).
Our Father, God of glory, Your "voice...thunders over the mighty waters" (Psalm 29:3), and "the winds and the waves obey [You]" (Matthew 8:27)! Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty" (Psalm 93:4). "You alone stretch out the heavens and tread on the waves of the sea" (Job 9:8).
We know from Your word, that all authority is Yours, and that You always work things out according to Your good and perfect plan. Here in Your word, we see Your Sovereign hand over the apostle Paul's journey even in the midst of peril and shipwreck. It was Your Sovereign plan for him to go to Rome, and so not only did You protect him from the miscalculations and the navigation errors of the decision makers, but You also graciously gave [him] the lives of those who sailed with [him]" (Acts 27:24).
Lord, in a similar way, we see so many unwise decisions, unwise actions in every sphere of life. We see the failings of systems, of governments, of institutions, of social and economic structures. In our civic, social, professional and personal lives, we are at risk—sometimes even at peril—because of the power of others to affect our lives—from a human perspective.
But it is You, Sovereign Lord, who chart our course through the deep, "though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" (Psalm 46:3). Your dominion, Your mercy prevails even when the decisions of those in authority over us are unwise, unsound, or unjust.
Thank You for Your favor Oh God! Thank You for the many times You graciously protect us and those who "sail with us." Thank You for the countless instances, known and unknown, when You save us and those around us from being lost, even when "the ship is destroyed."
Give us the right perspective to understand and to appreciate Your mercy. To sing in praise, as Your people of old, "If the Lord had not been on our side—the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away" (Psalm 124:5).
Give us peace and rest in the knowledge, Sovereign Lord, that it is You who plot our journey from beginning to end. Thank You for Your messengers of hope who buoy our spirits when the journey is difficult and dangerous. Thank You for standing beside us, helping us to "keep up [our] courage" when the waters come up to our neck (Psalm 69:1) Thank You, that "when [our] spirit grows faint within [us], it is You who watch over [our] way" (Psalm 142:3).
Father, "You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them" (Psalm 89:9). "Therefore let all the faithful pray to You while You may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them" (Psalm 32:6).
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