Hope in the middle of Desperation

 Read Acts 27.

Paul was in the center of God's will for his life.  Several times the Lord confirmed that his mission included going to Rome.  However, that did not preclude problems along the way.  Every journey of Paul's became life-threatening at some point.  Yet, each time God delivered him and those who traveled with him as well.

The ship carried wheat (v.38), most likely from Egypt bound for Rome.  Governor Festus turned over the custody of Paul, as a prisoner, to a Roman centurion named Julius.  A centurion had charge of one hundred men.  With the soldiers, an uncertain number of prisoners, the crew, and Paul's traveling companions of Luke and Aristarchus, the total souls on board were 276 (v.37).

Sailing the Mediterranean Sea in the mid to late fall required caution at best.  No one dared sail in the winter months.  Here, the weather went from bad to worse with a storm.  Things are pretty desperate when the crew must strap the ship with ropes to keep the timbers together (v.17).  Everyone expected that this was the end.  They were surely going to die.

But, this chapter is full of twists.  Paul is in the will of God and yet about to be shipwrecked and possibly die.  He is a prisoner, yet he became the leader.  In the midst of certain death, Paul announced hope.  How was this possible?

The answer is that God had prepared Paul for this very moment.
1. He had experience with such problems.
He had been here before.  In 2 Corinthians 11:25, Paul stated that he had endured three shipwrecks in his ministry.  This prepared him to have some credible ideas as to how to survive and help others in the process.

2. He had the word of God.
In this instance, an angel of God, gave Paul direct revelation concerning his survival and future.  He was assured of his destination.  Then, he stood firm in his faith as he faced these horrifying circumstances. 

3. He had hope in what God said.
With great confidence, he announced "...I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told" (v.25).  His message of hope was not spin.  It was, in fact, the truth.  As a result, "...all were brought safely to land" (v.44).

Those same principles can guide us through the most threatening circumstances.  God uses our past experiences with adversity and the faithfulness of God to face future problems and to help others.  God has graciously allowed us to have His word in writing to know and put into practice.  It is the anchor of our faith.  Our hope is in knowing, no matter what happens to us, our true destination is secure in Christ.