When their ship left Israel to sail to Rome, the captain and crew surely believed no one on board knew more about sailing than they did. This was a huge ship for the first century, carrying some 276 people (more than a Boeing 737). They would travel a thousand miles across the Mediterranean Sea in the winter. Things would not go well.
Early in the voyage one of the 200-plus passengers offered some unsolicited advice to the captain of the ship. Who was this untrained landlubber? He was a criminal, a prisoner appealing his case to Caesar. If you were the captain of the ship, would you take advice from a prisoner?
“By now, much time had passed and the voyage was already dangerous … Paul gave his advice and told them, ‘Men, I see that this voyage is headed toward damage and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’ But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than what Paul said” Acts 27:9-11.
They ignored Paul’s advice and soon found themselves in a storm lasting fourteen days. They dropped anchors but continued to drift. They pulled in the sails. They jettisoned cargo. Everyone thought they were going to die. Again, Paul spoke up.
“You should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss. Now I urge you to take courage, for there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. For this night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, you must stand before Caesar. And behold! God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ Therefore, take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me. However, we must run aground on a certain island” Acts 27:21-26.
The men onboard were encouraged by Paul’s words, though they must have wondered what to make of this talkative prisoner. The storm continued and one night some sailors tried to sneak away by lowering the lifeboat into the water. But Paul spoke up a third time:
“Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’ Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away” Acts 27:31-32.
As daylight approached, Paul spoke up a fourth time, encouraging everyone to eat. Paul knew they would need their strength because they would be swimming or treading water in a few hours.
“Today is the fourteenth day that you have been going without food, having eaten nothing. Therefore, I urge you to take some food. For this has to do with your survival’ … They all became encouraged and took food themselves” Acts 27:33-36.
Soon land was spotted, but the ship struck a sandbar. The bow was held fast, but the stern was beaten and destroyed by the waves. The centurion ordered those who could to swim to shore. The rest would drift on floating debris. In this way, everyone was saved as the angel had promised Paul.
Remember the way this story began?
Paul interrupted the leaders to warn them of bad times ahead and to tell them that they should not sail from Crete but remain there and wait out the winter. The captain, the owner of the ship, and the centurion chose to ignore Paul. What followed was a terrible storm interrupted by a series of messages God gave through Paul.
Are you prepared to have your plans interrupted by God?
Each time Paul spoke, the decision-makers listened to him more closely. By listening to God, no lives were lost. But they lost the ship, surely a tremendous investment. If they had listened to Paul in the first place, they could have saved the ship too.
Do you seek God? Do you ask Him to lead you—and do you expect to hear from Him?
“My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me” John 10:27.
God, interrupt us! Teach us to listen.
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