Daily Devotional

(Note: Welcome to my on-going devotional series in Acts 16-28. I encourage you to look back at past devotionals and stay current. Today we come to Acts 27).

Acts 27:23 “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’”

Acts 27 is the record of the first part of the Apostle Paul’s journey to Rome in the Fall of 60 AD to stand before Caesar, as God had promised (23:11). It is a risky time to travel by ship and Paul warns of the danger. The Roman centurion, however, listens to the ship’s pilot and the captain instead. Bad call!

A violent storm threatens the ship and all on board. An angel of God appears to Paul and assures him God has granted that all 276 of them will arrive safely in Rome...but...not without running aground. They arrive on the island of Malta, as the story continues in Chapter 28. Before we get there, let’s consider a couple of…

Lesson #1. It is wise to take advice from someone who can speak of God “to whom I belong and whom I serve” (v. 23)—i.e. one who speaks intimately to God in prayer and hears personally from God in His Word.

Lesson #2. Sometimes the promises of God involve violent storms and a few shipwrecks. Ultimately, He will lead us to where He promised. One of my favorite passages has led me through many storms:

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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