Being Calm In The Face Of A Ship Wreck And Death

On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. ... In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.  Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved."  So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away... Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat.  "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food - you haven't eaten anything.  Now I urge you to take some food.  You need it to survive.  Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head."...When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

   When daylight came, they did not recognise the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. ...the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground.  The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.  
   The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping.  But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan.  He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.  The rest were to get there on planks or pieces of the ship.  In this way everyone reached land in safety.
Acts 27: 27, 30-34b, 38-39, 41-44

To begin with Paul is not wanting to be on the ship.  But against his advice to the centurion, sailors, and owner of the ship to not sail, here they are sailing and facing certain ship wreck.  The sailors Paul tried to convince earlier not to sail are trying to abandon ship and leave everyone for dead.

The centurion listens to Paul and keeps the sailors from leaving the ship.  Not long after the guards keep the sailors from abandoning ship, they plan to kill the prisoners for fear that they will escape.  Again the centurion shows some faith in Paul and protects him and all the other souls that would have been massacred by the soldiers.

Through all this Paul encourages everyone that they will survive and that they need to eat to strengthen themselves.  Everyone is completely stressed out, sailors are trying to bail out, and soldiers are talking about murder.  No one is looking out for the other person, all they can think about is themselves.

Followers of Christ should follow Paul's example and stay calm, be encouraging, care for those that are around him and fully put his trust in God to deliver, both from a ship wreck and the soldiers that want to kill him.

Yesterday I shared with you that my storm is divorce.  I know how hard it is to not give up.  I'm still having to pick up the pieces of the 'shipwreck' of my life.  And I'm talking to myself as well as you as I write these blogs.

What is your storm?

Will you follow Paul's example to stay calm, be encouraging, and care for those around you.  Even if they are planning to hurt you?

Finally are you trusting in the God of creation for your deliverance?