All hope of being saved was finally abandoned. And then God spoke.
By Dean Collins
When we have tried and tried and we find ourselves without any visible path forward, we give up hope. We believe it’s over. But is it, really?
Desperate situation, caring God
Dr. Luke described a situation so desperate that Paul, along with 275 shipmates, had given up all hope of being saved. Giving up some hope is one thing, but giving up all hope sounds like game over. Luke gives us a little insight into their discouragement. They hadn’t eaten in a long time. Their focus on the storms and concerns about their vessel were so consuming they forgot to eat. When we are in difficulties, we must remember to take care of ourselves. Food and rest are essential, even if they seem trivial in light of our problems.
Paul didn’t have any leadership podcasts to prepare him for this desperate situation. But he did listen for and hear the voice of God, and he shared God’s message with the group. Before we rush to the message, it’s noteworthy to consider that our Father in Heaven knows our needs even before we ask. Jesus said it specifically in his Sermon on the Mount. We don’t need constantly to try impressing God with fancy, repetitive prayers. He already knows what we need.
I can’t explain why God acts when he does. No one can. And like you, I would prefer that God act according to my watch and calendar and not his eternal system that doesn’t fit our lifestyle or sense of urgency. Like Paul, when we haven’t seen answers for many days and we are dealing with no small problem, it is easy to abandon hope.
Angel message, God at work
God saw Paul’s hopeless condition and spoke to him by way of an angel: “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.”
It was months earlier that Paul had appealed to Caesar, this time in the middle of a different life-threatening situation. That problem didn’t completely resolve, and now Paul ‘s life was at risk again. How many situations do we have to go through on our journey of faith? All of them. We cannot abandon our faith in God. We may not like it or understand it, but God is always working on our behalf.
Hearing from the angel renewed Paul’s hope. He wasn’t given all the details; he only was told the headlines:
Don’t be afraid
You must stand before Caesar
God is going to take care of everyone on this ship
This simple and seemingly incomplete message resulted in Paul delivering a short message of his own to those on the ship:
Take heart
I have faith in God that he will do exactly what he said
We will run aground on some island
God didn’t say where or when relief would finally come, yet Paul trusted God for the outcome. And the outcome would involve some more difficulties ahead of their ultimate safety.
Scripture truth, hope from God
I’m pretty sure part of Paul’s ability to trust God went way back to the formative days of his youth. Long before his encounter with Jesus, as a good Jewish student he had memorized the stories he’d been told along with many Psalms. It wouldn’t surprise me to imagine Paul running these verses through his mind as the ship rocked and ultimately crashed on the shore. Paul knew these words from God to be sure and steady, even as much of life was constantly shaking.
So today if you are giving up hope, stop. Get something to eat. Take a walk. Breathe. Declare a Psalm or two like this one: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (56:3,4). Or remember this one: “O my Strength, I will watch for you, for you, O God, are my fortress. My God in his steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look in triumph on my enemies” (59:9,10).
And then listen for God’s voice. It might come directly or through a friend, but God will never abandon you even in the darkest of times.
Hang onto Him. It will be worth the wait.
Your time with God’s Word
Acts 27:20-26, 31-39, 42-44; Matthew 6:8; Psalm 56:3-4; 59:9-10 ESV
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