Acts
27:27, “But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven
up and down...29Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks,
they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. 30
And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had
let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would
have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31 Paul said to the centurion
and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be
saved. 32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let
her fall off.”
They must remain in the ship and continue to exhibit
faith in the revelation of the man of God. God's plan of deliverance
included the debris of the broken vessel, the vessel that had
sustained them thus far. But they had to be willing to stay with the
ship until she literally broke apart on the rocks. Those broken
pieces became their salvation. When our circumstances are falling
apart, we must stay true and obedient to God’s command in order to
be saved.
Acts
27:33, “...Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is
the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having
taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is
for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of
any of you...36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took
some meat. 37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore
and sixteen souls. 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened
the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.”
The fast was
concluded. They could take comfort that all would be saved and they
were all (276) of good cheer. They continued in faith and obedience
as they threw everything overboard to lighten the ship. They had done
what they knew to do. Now was the time to allow God to bring the
end to their storm. They took up the anchors and committed to the
sea. Completely free of all encumbrances, completely sustained by the
wind of God.
Acts
27:41, “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the
ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable,
but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves...43
the centurion...commanded that they which could swim should cast
themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44 And the rest, some
on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to
pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”
God's process will run
its course and in the end, His purpose is secured. How many times in
our own lives have we survived on the broken pieces of our ship? The
storms have been strong and the struggle bitter but we have stayed
with God and our end is secured!
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