I love when our ministry partner, Rick Renner, shares a short video teaching on social media, and ends with "Just something for you to THINK ABOUT"! That's what I want to do today! I want to leave you with something to think about (meditate on as in Joshua 1:8) and to ask Holy Spirit about! This is not a "doctrine" or a subject of great importance, but something interesting that Holy Spirit DOES know about and I believe that He will let us know! AMEN! We're looking at Acts 27 from today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. Paul had warned those in charge that it would be very dangerous to make that trip! Verse 10:
10 Saying, Sirs, I perceive [after careful observation] that this voyage will be attended with disaster and much heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but of our lives also.
We have covered before the TRUTH that there are two ways to learn, Wisdom, which is learning from others, and experience, which is learning from your own mistakes! Those in charge did NOT choose Wisdom on this day! Look at verse 11:
11 However, the centurion paid greater attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.
Very soon after they set sail a very violent storm began to toss the ship around. The sailors began to throw things off the ship to lessen the load and still the storm raged. Paul then reminded them that this would not have happened if they would have listened to him, but he then told them what the Lord had told him. Verses 22-24:
22 But [even] now I beg you to be in good spirits and take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship. 23 For this [very] night there stood by my side an angel of the God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve and worship, 24 And he said, Do not be frightened, Paul! It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and behold, God has given you all those who are sailing with you.
Even with that confirmation, the men began to fear for their lives and were going to ditch the ship and the prisoners. Paul gave them this warning in verse 31:
31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.
This time they believed and obeyed Paul! Now we come to the verse I challenge you to meditate on! Verses 33-36:
33 While they waited until it should become day, Paul entreated them all to take some food, saying, This is the fourteenth day that you have been continually in suspense and on the alert without food, having eaten nothing. 34 So I urge (warn, exhort, encourage, advise) you to take some food [for your safety]—it will give you strength; for not a hair is to perish from the head of any one of you. 35 Having said these words, he took bread and, giving thanks to God before them all, he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all became more cheerful and were encouraged and took food themselves.
Paul said that they had not eaten for 14 days! My thought is this: Sailing is a strenuous task even in great weather! It would take great physical strength to maintain this ship in the midst of a storm of this caliber. I would imagine that not eating any food for 14 days would have left them thin and weak! Some commentaries say that this just meant they didn't eat regular meals. Paul says that they had eaten NOTHING! That means not even one thing! Worry and fear drove them! My belief is that the God of the Bible was sustaining them! And I believe that He did this because of Paul's presence among them! What think you?
I believe that there are many people in our lives who are being blessed out of the overflow of blessings in OUR lives! Remember, the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Why? Because God's people have a right to the rain and when it falls on them, the overflow reaches others! This should serve as a calling card for them to want to know Jesus! AMEN! Keep walking in the blessings of God so that others may see His hand on your life and want Him! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Lost Are Found":
Shalom in Him!
