CONVICTION AMIDST COMMOTION (Christian Henry)~4/28/26

“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 Caesar: 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) 

At this point in chapter 27, Paul and his constituents, Luke and Aristarchus, are traveling from Caesarea Maritima on their way to Rome. False charges and two years of imprisonment in Caesarea led Paul to appeal his case to a higher Roman court, and he is now on his way there. They had planned to journey, but you know what they say about humans making plans? The grain ship they traveled on is bombarded by winter winds and storms, leaving them in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

At first, Paul thought they all might die. I’m sure the boat's consensus was panic. But Paul has prayed for the lives of the sailors, soldiers, and passengers on board. He encourages them to take heart and courage because, though things are bad now, this will not be the end. That night, an angel was sent by God to reassure the apostle as he was praying for deliverance from the storm, saying, “Fear not.” Although Paul knew and believed he needed to go to Rome and bear witness for Christ before Caesar, he was still worried.

Even if he had certain assurances, he was but a man. He cannot be lost in this storm because God willed and decreed his arrival. As well, God determined to save the whole ship's company in answer to his prayers. The Lord had heard him, granted his request, and would save them all. Yes, all lives on deck will be in danger due to the tempest, and yet not one will perish. All hope of being saved was gone, and now they were fully convinced that they would live to see another day.

Paul now encourages his fellow shipmates, telling them not to fear with fervency and earnestness, and this faith is simply because God has said. When I was a kid, and I had a nightmare, I would crawl into my dad’s bed and feel protected. In the same way, Paul feels safe and assured when in the embrace of his Heavenly Father. True faith lays hold and settles upon the word and promises of God to firmly persuade the true believer that what is said by God will come to pass. Paul is fully convinced that God will perform all He has promised, even if circumstances seem dire. He will be their God and will continue to love them, guide and protect them, supply all their need, and give them grace in this life and glory in the next.

Faith takes God at his word and firmly believes it will be so. All believers should be cheerful and filled with joy due to their trust in God and His track record. They seek to make all feel comforted as well by sharing the things the Lord has used to comfort them. True believers will always advocate being of good cheer, as Paul does.