Acts 27:27-32

Can you imagine going through this for 14 days? It had to be quite a storm to have lasted this long, and unfortunately, it was dragging them all along with it. The nights must have been terrible. With the cloud cover, it had to be pitch black, making it difficult to see what was ahead.

It seems the sailors sensed they were approaching land, no doubt drawing upon instincts they had developed through years of sailing. The danger now was running into a reef or running aground in the darkness with little visibility. Some of the sailors were going to make a run for it, but Paul put a stop to it. By this point, it seems he had garnered a measure of trust from the commanding officer and soldiers, and in an incredible act of faith on their part, they cut the lifeboat loose. Can you imagine that?

The ocean can be a scary place. Several years ago, my husband and I went on our first cruise—a five-day cruise in the Bahamas. On the third day, some weather was expected, but when we got up that morning, the seas were relatively calm, so we decided to take a tender over to the island. Unfortunately, we made much the same mistake they did—the weather looked manageable at the moment, so we went ahead despite what was coming.

We had only been on the island for about 45 minutes when the weather started to turn, and we decided to head back to the ship. As we sat on the tender waiting to leave, we watched a waterspout scoot across the other side of the island.

Unfortunately, the seas had picked up considerably, and it was taking a long time for each tender to reach the ship and safely get the passengers aboard—in some cases, as long as 45 minutes. By the time we reached the ship, the swells were about 10–12 feet. Even with the captain positioning the ship to help block the waves, the tender and the gangway were pitching up and down, making it very dangerous to cross.

About three-quarters of the people on our tender were able to get onto the ship before the decision was made to take the rest of us back to the island. I will never forget being broadsided by the waves as we pulled away from the ship and feeling as though we might capsize. There was nothing we could do but pray.

Thankfully, we made it safely back to shore without further incident, aside from the harrowing trip back to the inlet. About 1,400 of us from the ship ended up spending the night on the island, which at the time had little more than lounge chairs and hammocks. The winds had picked up to around 30 miles per hour as the cold front moved through, the temperatures dropped, and most people were dressed in bathing suits and other beach attire.

Throughout the night, the cruise line made trips back and forth from the ship to the island, bringing sweatshirts, blankets, food—whatever they could find. I happened to speak with one of the cooks they brought over, and he told me that getting to the island was one of the scariest things he had ever done. First, they had to get onto the small boat they were using, and then they had to navigate through those waves to the island in the darkness.

My husband and I affectionately call it our “Acts 27 cruise!”

So, as I read Paul’s account, I can somewhat relate, although I think what they experienced was far worse.

Never underestimate God’s ability to keep you safe, even in the most trying circumstances. But also, never underestimate the importance of listening to what He has to say, especially amid the chaos of uncertainty.
Paul’s instructions were clear: “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” God had already promised that everyone aboard would survive, but His promise did not make their obedience unnecessary. In fact, obedience was part of the means through which His promise would be fulfilled.

Sometimes faith looks like holding on; other times, faith looks like cutting the lifeboat loose.

Thankfully, they listened—and they lived to tell the tale, as we shall see.