Acts 27: Perfect Storm

“Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip…” Try to get that tune out of your head now… go ahead, I’ll wait. 

The “fateful trip” that Paul sails on during today’s chapter makes Gilligan’s trip look like a cakewalk by comparison. Over and over again, we read Luke describing this trip as being very dangerous and very difficult. How bad was it? Read verse 20 again:

“When neither the sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved” (20).

This storm was about as bad as it gets. Everyone on board was “in the same boat” (pardon the pun!) – they were hopeless and helpless. But all hope was not lost. God tells Paul that not one single man on board the ship will lose his life. Look again at verses 25 & 26:

“So keep up your courage men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

That is some “nevertheless!” God is with us, God will take care of us, God will save us, NEVERTHELESS, we are going to crash into some island. I am sure that some of the men on this ship may have wondered, if God can supernaturally save us from this storm, couldn’t he bring us gently and calmly into a nice, quiet port somewhere?

We all have some "nevertheless" moments in our lives as we pursue God. Paul did not allow his circumstances to cause him to question God’s sovereignty or goodness. The next time we hit a rough patch and wonder where God is in the midst of struggles we may face, remember Paul’s unwavering faith in God in the face of this perfect storm.

Ken Jackson