How often we look upon God as our last and feeblest resource! We go to Him because we have nowhere else to go. And then we learn that the storms of life have driven us, not upon the rocks, but into the desired haven.
George Macdonald
The apostle Pauls shipwreck as recorded by Luke who was with him, share this with me:
ACTS 27:29-44 NKJV
Then fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come. And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.
And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and have eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.
And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and took food themselves.
And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea. When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow struck fast and remained immoveable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.
And the soldiers plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.
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Paul was a prisoner of the Roman Government and was being taken from Jerusalem to Rome to stand trial. They ended up shipwrecked on the island of Malta, and were forced to stay the winter before they could leave. I would guess that there were only a few believers on the ship when they started out. By the time spring had come many more probably had a change of heart through their experiences and the faith of Paul and Luke in the only true God. These prisoners, soldiers, and sailors had seen Paul stand firm in the face of storms, day after day without wind, and the shipwreck. They saw Paul apply his faith in what he knew, and as a result Paul also encouraged those with him. How true this has been in my life, that when the storms blew me into the rocks, they turned out to be the safe haven that I needed all along. I am so grateful that in my distress and at the worst times of my life, God has had someone come along with faith to help me see the way. Through AA and NA meetings I have the opportunity to go out on the rocks of despair and encourage others with hope, faith, and the great love that God has shown us through Jesus Christ. This is the same love that Paul and Luke were grounded in. God continues to do for me what I could not do for myself JRE
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The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. AA Big Book page 25
George Macdonald
The apostle Pauls shipwreck as recorded by Luke who was with him, share this with me:
ACTS 27:29-44 NKJV
Then fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come. And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, when they had let down the skiff into the sea, under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.
And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food, saying, Today is the fourteenth day you have waited and continued without food, and have eaten nothing. Therefore I urge you to take nourishment, for this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you.
And when he had said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and took food themselves.
And in all we were two hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship. So when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and threw out the wheat into the sea. When it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow struck fast and remained immoveable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.
And the soldiers plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.
********************
Paul was a prisoner of the Roman Government and was being taken from Jerusalem to Rome to stand trial. They ended up shipwrecked on the island of Malta, and were forced to stay the winter before they could leave. I would guess that there were only a few believers on the ship when they started out. By the time spring had come many more probably had a change of heart through their experiences and the faith of Paul and Luke in the only true God. These prisoners, soldiers, and sailors had seen Paul stand firm in the face of storms, day after day without wind, and the shipwreck. They saw Paul apply his faith in what he knew, and as a result Paul also encouraged those with him. How true this has been in my life, that when the storms blew me into the rocks, they turned out to be the safe haven that I needed all along. I am so grateful that in my distress and at the worst times of my life, God has had someone come along with faith to help me see the way. Through AA and NA meetings I have the opportunity to go out on the rocks of despair and encourage others with hope, faith, and the great love that God has shown us through Jesus Christ. This is the same love that Paul and Luke were grounded in. God continues to do for me what I could not do for myself JRE
********************
The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. AA Big Book page 25
