All Hope Was Gone

Acts 27:13-44

Have you ever been in a place that you said, "I don't know if I'm going to get through this one?" Every voice around you sounds a sound of hopelessness; every circumstance shouts your going under this time.

Paul was held captive with other prisoners, he was sent on a ship to be placed on trial before Caesar. As they were traveling, a great storm, a typhoon came in on their journey. Paul had warned the captain of the ship, "I perceive that this journey will face great harm to the ship and our lives will be at risk."

The captain ignored his words an attempted to sail on towards their destination Rome. What would they do now? Days and days passed in the midst of this storm. The ship was like a corker on the waves, bouncing around, trying to stay afloat. When all hope was gone that they would be saved, Paul stands in the midst of them as declares; " Be of good cheer, there stood by me last night the angle of God that said, Paul you will appear before Caesar, tell the men to stay with the ship and no life will be lost."

There will be times in all of our lives that everything will come apart. Possibly the job, the marriage, the kids behavior, the health report. So what do you do when all hope is gone that you will be saved? Listen to God's still small voice that declares; "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."(Hebrews 13:8) When you walk through the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee and when you walk through the fire thou shalt not be burned neither will the flame kindle upon thee. (Isaiah 43:2)

Before the prisoners came to safety, the ship came apart at the breakers of an Island called Malta. All 276 swam to the shore, some on broken boards from the ship, regardless they all made it there safely. God never said there wouldn't be storms, battles, tests, trials and dilemmas in life. God never allows them to come to defeat us but rather to develop us and conform us into his purpose and destiny for our lives.

Paul states; "The things that have happen to me have happen for the furtherance of the gospel. (Phil 1:12) Are you allowing your hopeless situation, to illuminate the light of God, so that others will come to see Christ and His glory? 276 men saw the power of God before there own eyes and saw the God who Paul served was exactly who he said He was. Will you too allow your storm to reveal God's glory and hope to a hurting world that desperately needs the Savior?

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