The Inmates are Running the Jail

“Now I beg you to be brave. Not one of you will die. Only the ship will be destroyed." (Acts 27:22)

The inmates are running the jail! Wouldn't that be a disaster? Not in this case! Remember, all things are possible with God! When all seems lost and there is no way out, remember Paul's words here:

"But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.”

This chapter gives an eyewitness account of an ocean storm, the once-in-a-decade kind of storm that survivors never forget. . . The Perfect Storm! Dense clouds blot out the sun and stars for many days and nights; the entire shipload of 276 passengers and crew goes without food for two weeks, and no one knows whether the passengers will survive to see another day. No one, that is, except the apostle Paul. he is focused upon the Captain of the ship! Luke vividly depicts the on-board frenzy: sailors lashing ropes around their groaning ship, the crew heaving precious food and supplies overboard, Roman soldiers with drawn swords preparing to slash their prisoners’ throats. In the midst of all this hysteria stands the apostle Paul, calmly predicting what will happen next.

God has promised Paul he will visit Rome; a vision has confirmed it and Paul never doubts it, even when the boat breaks in pieces around him.

Once more Paul reveals himself as a man of unshakable courage. The Roman centurion surely recognizes it: He grants Paul extraordinary privileges and protection. By the end of the storm, everyone on the ship is following the advice of the prisoner from Tarsus.

So . . . How do you normally react in a crisis? Panic? Confidence? Trusting Whom?