Though Paul was eager to fulfill his commission, preaching the gospel to his own people and to the Gentiles, the great apostle was certainly not immune from setbacks and delays. After being held in Caesarea for two years despite no wrong-doing, he is finally sent to Rome where he will stand trial before the emperor. But the testing of his patience was far from over! Acts 27 records a snail-paced, ill-fated sea voyage, first hampered by a lack of wind, then made impossible by too much. For a while, it looked certain he would drown! It is estimated that during the course of his thirty-year ministry, Paul sailed some three thousand miles. As an experienced sailor, he intervenes four times in this chapter to alter the course of events by his reasonable seafaring advice. First, he warns that conditions had become too dangerous and they should not go any farther. Risk is unavoidable in life, and faith is essential. But God expects us to use sound judgment and not presume on His intervention. Paul was not about to argue for a foolish, unnecessary course of action by saying, “God will see us through it,” when no such promise had been given (v 1-12). Unfortunately, his warning is not heeded and the results are even worse than he had feared. As one of Paul’s traveling companions, Luke vividly describes the severity of the storm and the crew’s frantic efforts to save the ship. But when all hope is lost, Paul speaks up again, this time sharing the encouraging news of how he had received divine assurance that all 276 lives on board will be spared. “Take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told,” Paul says. But he still can’t resist giving more nautical advice, urging them to run the ship aground on some island (v 13-26). After two weeks adrift at sea, they finally find a harbor, but then Paul notices some of the sailors trying to abandon the ship. Despite God’s promise that every life will be saved, Paul does not passively standby and do nothing. For a third time, he intervenes, warning his overseers that no one will survive to tell this story if they do not act now to stop these men (v 27-32). Paul’s final intervention occurs when he urges everyone to take some food. Although God had guaranteed their safety, they will have no energy for the difficult task ahead if they do not take time to eat. Strong faith in God does not cancel out human responsibility for such practical details! Before all these unbelievers, Paul then leads in a prayer of thanksgiving, a powerful testimony to his faith in Jesus Christ. The ship is finally beached on a sandbar, and after yet more life-threatening drama, “all were brought safely to land” (v 33-44). For further meditation: