Take Heart
Acts 27:21-26 NKJ
But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 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; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. However, we must run aground on a certain island."
Paul was on a ship in the middle of a serious storm. This storm had left all the people on board in a state of hopelessness. Paul had warned them before they embarked that the result of this voyage was going to turn out badly. But Paul was a prisoner and not a sailor, so no one listened.
Now, after being stuck in a tumultuous storm, the people on board had given up hope of coming out alive. They had thrown the cargo and the ship's tackling overboard, and they were fasting and waiting for the end. But they did not realize who was on board with them. Paul may have been a prisoner, but he was a prisoner with a relationship with the living God. And God came through for Paul.
Paul stands up and speaks to the crew and passengers. He reminds them that he warned them ahead of time. I don't think Paul was trying to rub it in their faces, but rather to establish credibility. In other words, Paul was saying he was right then, so he is correct now in what he is telling them. Take heart or be encouraged; we are only going to lose the ship, not our lives. Paul then told them where his inside information came from. An angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came and stood by him with a message. I love how Paul related to God. I belong to God, and I serve God. And the angel had a message of hope.
The message had to encourage Paul also. He was told not to be afraid because he most likely thought he was going to die. But God had a different plan. Paul needed to testify before Caesar, and as a bonus, God granted him everyone who was sailing with him. God had a plan for Paul, and the people with Paul were blessed by association—same ship, same deliverance.
The storm had not stopped, and nothing had changed when Paul stood up and spoke to the ship's occupants. But what Paul said next was the basis for his courage. The reason he took heart and encouraged the others to do the same. "I believe God that it will be just as it was told me." Paul believed the message from the angel. And although angelic messages are out of the ordinary, Paul still had to believe what was said. Just because an angel said it does not automatically equate belief. Remember Zacharias, who argued with the angel Gabriel as to whether they would have a child. The child turned out to be John the Baptist, and Zacharias was unable to speak for nine months because he did not believe. But Paul believed, and so he was able to take courage and encourage those around him.
Application
I believe we may underestimate the importance of our relationship with God as it relates to other people. How many families have been blessed because some believer was praying? How many businesses have thrived because God was blessing one of His faithful ones? I am sure only heaven will reveal the entire story. However, if you are the lone believer in your world, stay the course. You do not know how God will help you and those around you.
So take heart and keep believing that it will turn out exactly as God said. For your good and God's glory!
Prayer
Lord, I believe You and what You speak to me in my heart by Your Word and Your Holy Spirit. Despite what is going on around me, I choose to believe and choose to be encouraged and a source of encouragement.