Acts 27
Paul could have written the line: “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” Indeed, I imagine an ongoing conversation in heaven between the apostle and ex-slave ship captain John Newton concerning which man could give God the greater glory for His grace!
The grace of the Lord permeates this exciting adventure on the high seas. You may recall that the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision assuring him that he would testify about Him in Rome (Acts 23:11). This dramatic voyage probably wasn’t the way Paul envisioned his travel agent to lay out the itinerary, but it was God’s chosen route to Rome nonetheless. And God never shortchanges on the adventure.
By grace God sent an angel to encourage Paul. By grace God confirmed His plans for Paul to stand before Caesar in Rome. By grace God said He would spare the lives of all the men on board. By grace God granted Paul faith to believe His word. By grace God used Paul to encourage and strengthen his shipmates. By grace God caused the centurion and the soldiers to at last heed Paul’s words of wisdom. And by grace God fulfilled His promise in protecting the men’s lives, even though the ship was battered to pieces by the waves.
God’s grace is always sufficient. But who ever said being a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth would be easy?
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