deliverance!

Acts 27:42-43 And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.  But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose...

 

Paul is placed on a ship to sail to Italy so he can face charges made against him before Caesar.  But before he can get there he must survive a difficult voyage on the sea.  It is clear that there are two purposes for this trip...man's purposes and God's purposes.  Man's purpose was to transport a high-value prisoner to Rome to satisfy Roman law.  God's purpose was to take the Gospel message to the Italian peninsula.  They run into something like a typhoon that rages for about two weeks straight and the little ship is blown all over the Adriatic Sea.  There are great forces pushing Paul and there are great forces seeking to destroy Paul.  God provides encouragement to Paul before He saves him and the others in Acts 27:23 "For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you."  We may not be as well-known as Paul, but we can be sure that God has a purpose beyond our natural lives for each of us who has trusted in Him.  There will be severe storms and we will need encouragement, but we can be sure...as we trust Him...that we will reach the destination and fulfill the purpose He has charted for each of us.

 

blessings,

Rob Smith