Paul's Shipwreck - God's Protection

At first, a gentle south wind began to blow, and they thought they had made the right choice! They weighed anchor and sailed along the coast. But suddenly, a violent wind called a "northeaster" swept down from the island! The ship was caught by the storm and couldn't head into the wind, so the sailors gave up trying to control it and let the ship be driven along by the fierce winds and waves!

The storm was terrifying! Massive waves crashed over the ship! The wind howled and tore at the sails! Everyone on board feared for their lives! The sailors worked desperately to save the ship. They passed ropes under the ship to hold it together! They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship lighter! The next day, they even threw the ship's equipment overboard with their own hands! For many days, they couldn't see the sun or the stars because of the dark storm clouds. The violent storm continued raging day after day, night after night. Finally, everyone gave up hope of being saved. They were sure they were all going to die!

The people were terrified and hadn't eaten anything for a long time because they were so afraid and seasick. But in the middle of all this chaos and fear, Paul stood up among them and said, "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail! But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed!"

Then Paul explained why he was so confident: "Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me! Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."

What amazing faith Paul had! While everyone else was in despair, Paul trusted God's promise! For fourteen days and nights, the ship was driven across the Adriatic Sea by the storm. On the fourteenth night, around midnight, the sailors sensed they were approaching land. They took soundings and found the water was getting shallower - they were near the coast! They were afraid the ship would crash into the rocks in the darkness, so they dropped four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight to come.

Some of the sailors tried to escape! They pretended they were going to lower anchors from the front of the ship, but actually they were trying to launch the lifeboat and abandon everyone else! Paul saw what they were doing and told the centurion and soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved!" So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. The sailors had to stay on the ship with everyone else!

Just before dawn, Paul urged everyone to eat something. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you've been in constant suspense and have gone without food. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive! Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head!" Then Paul took some bread, gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it, and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves! Altogether there were 276 people on the ship! When they had eaten all they wanted, they lightened the ship even more by throwing the rest of the grain into the sea.

When daylight came, the sailors didn't recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach. They decided to try to run the ship aground there if they could. So they cut loose the anchors, untied the ropes that held the rudders, hoisted the foresail to the wind, and made for the beach! But the ship struck a sandbar and got stuck! The front of the ship was jammed fast and wouldn't move, while the back of the ship was being broken to pieces by the pounding of the violent waves!

The soldiers planned to kill all the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping! But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life, so he kept the soldiers from carrying out their plan! He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The others were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. And that's exactly what happened! Every single person reached land safely - just like God had promised Paul! All 276 people survived!

They found out they had landed on the island of Malta. The islanders showed them unusual kindness! It was raining and cold, so the locals built a fire to warm everyone up. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and was putting it on the fire when suddenly a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand! When the islanders saw the snake hanging from Paul's hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer! He escaped from the sea, but Justice has not allowed him to live!"

But Paul just shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects! The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he must be a god! Paul wasn't a god, of course - but God was certainly protecting him! Near that place was an estate owned by the island's chief official, Publius. He welcomed them and showed them hospitality for three days. When Paul heard that Publius's father was sick with fever, Paul went to see him, prayed for him, placed his hands on him, and healed him! After this, all the other sick people on the island came, and Paul healed them too! The people honored Paul and his companions and gave them many gifts. When it was time to sail again three months later, they provided everything they needed for the journey!

Paul's shipwreck story teaches us incredible truths! First, God's plans for our lives will not be stopped - not by storms, not by shipwrecks, not by snakes, not by anything! God had told Paul he would testify in Rome, and nothing could prevent that from happening! Second, when God gives us a promise, we can trust it completely! Paul believed God's word even when circumstances looked hopeless. Third, when we have faith in God, we can encourage others even in the darkest times! Paul strengthened the courage of 276 terrified people! Fourth, God can use difficult situations to accomplish His purposes! Because of the shipwreck, Paul ended up on Malta where he healed many people and shared the good news about Jesus! What looked like a disaster became an opportunity!

When you go through storms in your life - difficult times that seem overwhelming - remember Paul on that ship! Trust God's promises! Keep your faith strong! Encourage others! And watch to see how God might use the difficult situation for good! God is always with you, and His plans for your life will not be stopped!

Big idea: God is always with us and loves us very much!