What seems safe in the natural can never compare to the safety of what has been ordained in the divine even if, on the surface, that which is ordained looks like it will be to your detriment.
In Acts 27, Luke recounts Paul’s shipwreck. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul warns the ship’s officers about the dangers they would face if they continued to sail. The officers didn’t want to stop at the nearby harbor because it was exposed. Instead, they wanted to continue sailing to what they felt would be a safer harbor. They wanted to rely on their expertise as sailors. Having experience isn’t a bad thing, but it must always surrender to the omniscience of God. We can’t rely on human understanding and assessment and pursue comfort and safety because we never know what comes next. In verses 13-14, the wind lightened up and the sailors decided to continue, but the weather changed abruptly. Given that we’re not omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent, we never have the full picture so how could we reliably make decisions based on limited knowledge?
Plus, when we trust in and pursue our own way instead of God’s, we invite difficulty that God didn’t intend.
Sidebar: Go works our defiance and missteps for our good and for the good of others. They shipwrecked onto Malta and God used their “detour” for the healing of the ill people on the island. The islanders even supplied them with everything they would need to continue their journey to Rome.
Upfront, we don’t know the extent of the impact of our choices, and we don’t know how long the difficulty will last. Still, in His goodness, God rescues us – but not before we’ve stayed in the mess we created long enough for us to increase our faith. In the text, the men stayed in the nor’easter for 14 days and the next time Paul gives instructions, they listen (v. 32). They learned to listen to him. What’s more is that Paul gives thanks to God in front of all 276 people onboard – in advance of God’s word about their physical salvation being made manifest. Giving credit to God is essential to witnessing for Him, which Paul does here. The purpose of witnessing isn’t for people to believe in us or in coincidences, but for them to believe in God.
Though they didn’t know how long they would be in the storm, God gracefully sends a message that they will be saved even though the ship will go down (v. 22-26). That’s some serious grace right there. Not only does God choose to rescue them from their decision, but He lets them know, in advance, how it will end. It’s comforting to me to know that though the journey will be hard sometimes, devastating even, I will survive the trouble.
The angel tells Paul, “Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar!” (v.23-24). What’s the word God has spoken to you that doesn’t align with your circumstances? If God says that Isaac will be the one through whom your lineage comes Abraham, do you believe God will spare his life even though He’s calling you to sacrifice him? If I’m still worrying after I get a clear word from God, it’s an indication that I’m believing in my circumstances more than I am in the word that God spoke to me. In the text, the men didn’t eat for two weeks because they were so concerned for their lives. Paul encourages them by reminding them “not a hair of your heads will perish” (v. 33-34). No matter the situation, God will provide all my needs according to His riches (Philippians 4:19), meaning that He never runs out of resources or ways to provide for me. I don’t have to worry when my finances or living situation look grim because I’m provided for whether I see it in the natural yet or not.
In verses 30-32, the sailors try to abandon the ship and lower the lifeboat. Paul tells them they will die unless they stay aboard and cut the ropes to the lifeboat. The verses echo Matthew 16:25 and Luke 9:24. When I cling to that which God has called me to release (e.g., my plan, the illusion of my control over my and my son’s lives, my finances, my job) because I believe holding on is safer than following God into the unknown, I could very well find devastation or block or delay my blessings. Faith calls for the illogical because it’s a matter of what I do not see. Faith calls for me to step away from what seems comfortable and safe to follow God into what, on the surface, seems like it might end me. Obedience unto faith is never to destroy me, but to test, grow, and bless me and ultimately, to glorify God. Let my attempts to orchestrate alternatives to God’s plan fail. For His plan is for my good. I need not fear it or try to circumvent it. In verse 41, the sailors try to save the ship, but it went down just as Paul told them it would. God had a plan and the events would come to pass just as He spoke.
In verses 42-43, the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners so they wouldn’t escape to shore. They’re committed guards and maybe there could have been repercussions for their failing to secure the prisoners, but they’re trying to kill the one who gave them instructions that saved their lives. They’re benefited from Paul’s faithfulness and God’s covering him. Even in this scenario, Paul didn’t have to worry because the angel told him that he would stand trial before Caesar (v. 23-24). This means he gets to survive the storm, shipwreck, and humanity’s schemes. This means that God gives him favor with people in positions of power and influence (v. 3, 43). The same is true for believers today. Let us have faith in God’s word. Let us be purveyors of God’s grace instead of faithful to a title.
When God calls you to remain in what seems to be sinking or failing, He’ll give you the power, sustenance, and encouragement to stay, to stand. Keep standing if God is calling you to it. Cut the ropes to the lifeboat.
What seems safe in the natural can never compare to the safety of what has been ordained in the divine.
yāḏa 