Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”…
Acts 27:13-28, 33-38
As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
The fearful sailors and soldiers
In Acts 27 the sailors are working frantically to try and save the ship that is carrying the Apostle Paul and numerous others towards Rome. So frantically they apparently have gone for at least several days without a real meal and are near collapsing. Despite all their expertise and skill their efforts fail at securing them in the midst of overwhelming circumstances, leaving fearful, anxious, and overwhelmed.
The confident saint
Contrast this with Paul, who has both listened to and trusted God and is apparently free from worry despite the near death circumstances. He knew ahead of time that the voyage would not end well, but went in trust (Acts 27:9-11). As a result he is able to speak with faith and reason to the crew, saying,
this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”
Out of his confidence in God Paul can reason with them (eat some food!) and speak in faith (“It will be exactly as I have been told.”)
Which are you?
If you’re a follower of Jesus you need to ask yourself; am I the fearful sailor working frantically to solve a problem that I can’t control? Or am I the confident saint, listening to and trusting God, equipped to offer hope and confidence to those around me?
Maybe you’re personally in the midst of some sort of storm; a relationship that seems like it is imploding or a job that feels utterly overwhelming or simply the chaos of our divided social and political worlds.Or maybe those around – coworkers, friends, and family, are in the midst of stormy and terrifying circumstances. Losing a family member, getting laid off, dire financial circumstances, even loneliness and anxiety, all contribute to the often overwhelming and frantic feel of life.
The power of the confident saint
There’s an incredible power with those who are confident in and trust God’s word. They bring peace and hope with them as they go. It may be that God has put you, follower of Jesus, in the midst of a storm with others around you so that you can play a role similar to Paul’s in this scene in Acts.
Paul says that God granted him the lives of those around him. Apparently Paul prayed for those with him to be saved from the storm and God answered that prayer. Paul’s words of faith that they would all survive prevented the killing of hundreds of slaves and prisoners (27:42-43) Would the slaves, sailors, and centurions have been saved if Paul hadn’t been on the ship interceding with God on their behalf? It doesn’t seem so.
Your prayers, your peace, your very presence and the confident faith that you can live in will change the trajectory of someone’s life. But that won’t happen if you’ve forgotten that you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be more like Paul than like the frantic, fearful sailors.
How to become the confident saint
The power to be a confident saint who can stand fearless in the midst of a life-shaking storm is given to every follower of Jesus. It’s not something you have to work for; it’s something you rest and grow into. However, we can learn several things about the process from the record of Paul’s life in Acts. Here are a few keys for being the confident saint:
Take time to be with and listen to God
Paul’s visions and dreams came from a deep intimacy with the Lord. He took time to be with and listen to God, learn from Jesus, study the Word, and know and be known.
Entrust your life to God
Out of that knowing and being known, Paul had entrusted his life completely to the Lord. So much so that he could say things like, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20). He had given up control of his life because he’d seen the beauty and wisdom of Christ, offering his body, mind, heart, and soul as a “living sacrifice.”
Go through trials and tribulations
Paul went through numerous trials and painful challenges, each developing his confidence in the Lord as God kept him through it all. It was something he expected from the outset because God had shown him that he would suffer for the sake of Jesus’ name (Acts 9:16). Paul himself told new believers, “through many trials we must enter the kingdom of God”.
Trust
It was through those trials and tribulations that Paul grew in his confidence and faith in his Lord and Savior. Trust is built through trial, which is why the storms we face are actually incredibly important parts of our spiritual journey. This is a significant mindset shift that merits a much longer post, but for now suffice it to say that we ought to look at our storms – our challenges, trials, and struggles – as opportunities to see God prove his goodness and grow our faith rather than as things to be escaped or avoided.
Speak
Lastly, Paul didn’t keep his trust in God to himself. He spoke boldly, declaring to a ship full of people terrified that they were going to die that they would live. What a risk! What if even two or three of them had died? It would have immediately discredited Paul’s power as an apostle. We too must take the risk of speaking God’s words if we wish to live as confident saints.
So, to come back to our key question: are you operating as a fearful sailor or a confident saint? Does your presence and your language heighten the anxiety and fear of those around you? Or does it, like Paul did, calm people and point them to the hope found in God’s Word – ultimately in the incarnate word that is Jesus – and also in the words and promises he has declared for this life?
My prayer is that we would be the confident saints and that when people encounter us we would draw them out of their fear and anxiety and into God’s peace. And that all starts simply with being with Jesus. May we all become who we are in Him.
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