At a critical juncture of life, a word from the Lord may be all the compass we need to move on. In their voyage to Rome, Paul went through transitions, moving from a depth of despair to a mountaintop of optimism. Just before the words in our text, we were told how both Paul and other people aboard feared the worst for their lives. That was because they saw no sun or moon for many days; all that they experienced was stark darkness. In our passage today, however, it seemed Paul had found a new hope. Nothing had changed on the outside, as the darkness persisted; but something had occurred in his spirit. Here he was emboldened to say that unless the sailors stayed on board to keep putting the troubled ship on course the people had no chance. Notice that when he spoke earlier in Acts 27:20 he said “all hope that we would be saved was finally given up”. But now he only feared for the people. Before it was “we”, now it is “you”! What was the source of this new confidence?
The new confidence which he displayed can be traced to the vision of an angel that he had. “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar…”(Acts 27:23-24). The moment Paul saw that vision and had the assurance of the Lord, a new hope was born; he knew his life was secured. But he could not guarantee that for other people except they took precautionary measure and obeyed his word. What we are saying in essence is that the word of God spoken to us is the fountain of hope. No matter how heavy our fears about life may be, God’s word can dispel them. In all misty conditions of life, all we need is a word from the Lord.
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