Reading: Acts 26-28
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me(Acts 27:22-25).
The last two chapters of the Book of Acts read almost as if they were taken from an action-adventure novel. Paul appealed his case to Caesar and left Caesarea under Roman guard, and he is now bound for Italy (Rome). This is in fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to Paul on his first night of captivity in Jerusalem: And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome (Acts 23:11). No doubt his captors felt he had made a foolhardy choice. While every Roman citizen had the right to appeal to Caesar, drawing the attention of the empire’s chief authority figure when you were not a man of considerable influence was not often a good idea. Yet Paul made his appeal without fear. He was following the path that the Lord had laid before him. Jesus had already acquitted him, and his future was assured (Phil. 1:21); therefore, no earthly judge held any sway over him.
The first leg of the journey was completed under unfavorable winds (Acts 27:2-8). Upon arriving at Lasea well into the fall (so dated because Luke recorded it as being past the fast of the day of atonement), Paul urged them to sail no further till spring (27:9-11), but his warnings were disregarded, and they sailed on. Predictably, they hit bad weather almost immediately. As their plight worsened, many of the passengers and crew despaired. They knew that they were going to die. Paul was at absolute peace, so much so that he was moved to comfort his captors: And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. They would have openly scoffed at his words, but his cheerful attitude remained. They could not cause him to doubt because he possessed God’s promise. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Paul trusted in his Savior. That was the simple truth upon which he based his life. Amid the fiercest storm and the darkest night (27:27-33), Paul never once doubted the Word of God. So sincere was his conviction that he partook of a thanksgiving celebration before safety was reached (27:34-36). This is the level of trust that we each must strive for in our own lives. We are protected by a mighty God; He is in complete control, even when our lives are turned inside out and upside down. Only in Him can we find safety and peace.
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil(Heb. 6:18-19).
Thought For TodayNeither the machinations of man nor the whims of nature can wrench us from the hands of God, nor can they deter us from His path without our consent.
Word Studies26:5 most straitest = most exact, strictest; 26:7 instantly = earnestly; 27:7 under = close to, on the side sheltered from wind; 27:12 commodious = suitable; 27:30 under colour = under pretense; 28:2 barbarous people = foreigners, who don’t speak your language well; 28:13 fetched a compass = circled around; 28:16 suffered = permitted.
Cross Reference:For Acts 28:26-27: See Is. 6:9-10.
Pray For Staff:Kevin Jennings • Government Official: Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR), Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA) • Country: Hungary (9,919,128) East-Central Europe • Major Language: Hungarian • Restricted Religious Freedom • 37.2% Roman Catholic; 11.6% Calvinist; 2.2% Lutheran; 1.8% Greek Catholic; 1.8% Other (Other Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish); 18.2% None; 27.2% Unspecified • Prayer Suggestion: Ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment (Prov. 2:1-6).