He is the God who walks through the storm with us.
We’re almost at the end of our journey through the Book of Acts, but although we’re nearing the end, the story continues to unfold with lots of surprising twists and turns along the way.
In Acts 27, Paul is taken to Rome as a prisoner. But, even though it was God’s plan for Paul to go to Rome, as He had clearly spoken in Acts 23:11, the journey is anything but smooth.
The ship encounters a severe storm. The storm—often called Euroklydon—is so violent that the crew cannot see the sun or stars for days. The ship is tossed back and forth, and the people on board lose all hope of being saved.
In the midst of that chaos, Paul stands up. He recounts that an angel of God had told him that no one on the ship would die. The ship would perish, but the people would be saved. Paul says, “So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.” (Acts 27:25).
Paul is a prisoner himself, but he becomes the leader of hope on the ship. While experienced sailors are afraid, he expresses confidence.
Everyone experiences storms in life. These can be difficult circumstances: uncertainty, loss, stress, or fear. We often pray that God stops the storm immediately. But in this chapter, we see something different: God is not only the God who calms storms; He is also the God who walks through the storm with us.
The storm does not disappear immediately. The ship even breaks down. But God keeps His promise: everyone survives.
God's faithfulness does not mean that everything becomes easy, but rather that He leads us through difficult times.
If you are facing a storm right now, I’d like to ask you two questions:
- Which promises of God keep you standing?
- How can you, just like Paul, bring hope to others who are afraid?
