Driven By The Wind

Scripture:

Job, chapter 18; Psalm 114; Acts, chapters 27-28

Acts 27:14-26 (NASB):

But before very long a violent wind, called Euraquilo, rushed down from the land; and when the ship was caught in it and could not head up into the wind, we gave up and let ourselves be driven by the wind. Running under the shelter of a small island called Cauda, we were able to get the ship’s boat under control only with difficulty.

After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and let themselves be driven along in this way.

The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo; and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was slowly abandoned.

When many had lost their appetites, Paul then stood among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice and not have set sail from Crete, and thereby spared yourselves this damage and loss. And yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong, whom I also serve, came to me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has graciously granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on a certain island.”

Observations:

The phrase which caught my attention this morning is driven by the wind. Roman soldiers were transporting Paul to Rome for his appeal to the emperor. They journeyed in steps: one ship from Caesarea to Sidon and on to Myra (27:5); from there another ship heading for Italy (27:6). That ship had difficulty with the weather, and thus did not progress as planned. When the captain planned to set out from Cyprus, Paul warned them about the danger (27:10). His warnings went unheeded. A large storm arose, and the ship was driven by the wind.

What image comes to your mind of a ship driven by the wind? I think of two: the movie The Perfect Storm, and the opening of Gilligan’s Island. Raging seas and gale-force winds make it impossible for any ship to stay “under rudder,” and Paul’s ship in Acts 27 was no different. They raised the lifeboat – presumably to reduce the impact of it banging against the side of the ship – and then ran cables under the ship to help hold it together. As the storm continued, they threw the cargo overboard; the next day, they even jettisoned the ship’s tackle. Nearly everything that wasn’t nailed down was gone, but the storm raged on. From then on all hope of our being saved was slowly abandoned.

And yet:

In the midst of the despair, an angel of the Lord appeared to Paul to encourage him. “Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong, whom I also serve, came to me…”

I have often focused on Paul’s “I told you so” in verse 21: “Men, you should have listened to me…” As I read this passage today, I see that differently. Paul reminds them that he had told them what would happen, not to say “I told you so,” but to convince them to listen to him this time. “I told you what would happen, and I was right then; so I’m telling you now what will happen, and you should trust me.” In the midst of their despair, Paul brought hope. And it happened just as God had said it would!

Application:

I believe that God is reminding us that many people in our world are being driven by the wind. The feeling of despair that comes with being driven by the wind is just as powerful today as in Paul’s day. God wants us to bring a message of hope to those who feel driven by the wind. It may seem that things are out of control. However, there is One to whom we can always turn for help.

God is also reminding me that it is easy for us to allow “I told you so” to creep into our proclamation of that hope. We should strive to offer hope without blame to those who feel driven by the wind. The Holy Spirit can assign any “blame” that is appropriate. “And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment…” (John 16:8). When the Spirit does that, He always does it in the best possible way – because He knows us. We need to focus on offering the hope of the gospel, and allow them to experience God’s deliverance!