Acts Day 291 - Imagine That...

27:42 And the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, 44 and the rest, some on boards and some on parts of the ship. And so it was that they all escaped safely to land.

Wild storm at sea where they could not find land.

14 days without food

Some attempted to escape in the skiff

Food and all supplies thrown overboard to reduce weight

Ship destroyed on a sand bar

Soldiers planned to kill all the prisoners

Crew forced to grab onto whatever they could find as they fled the wrecked sinking ship

All of that and every single person survived and made it safely to shore. Isn't that what God said would happen? Against all odds God's Word prevailed. 

"Stay with the ship and not a life will be lost."

The lesson is obvious. Safety is only guaranteed in one place. I have heard and nay even have taught myself that the "ship" is the church and if you stay you will be safe. In this story God told them to stay in the ship to be safe but the ship didn't even make it. It wasn't the ship that saved them. It was obedience.

In the Gospel of Mark he describes another journey in a boat. There was a storm. The disciples, nearly half of whom grew up on that sea fishing were convinced they were going to die. Frantically they were bailing water doing whatever they could to prevent their imminent demise. One writer says they were so busy trying to save the boat and themselves that they forgot Jesus was on board. A flash of lightning pierced the raging darkness and there He lay, sound asleep. 

They shook Him awake while screaming above the wind "Master don't you care that we are perishing!?"

Jesus stood and rebuked the wind and the waves. The storm came to a grinding halt. However Jesus was not happy. He rebuked them for their lack of faith. Why?