Encourage

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

ENCOURAGE

Acts 27:33-38

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food — you haven't eaten anything. 34 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." 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36 They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

NIV

Things look pretty grim as the night raged on, sensing they were near land but did not know what the shoreline consisted of. Was it filled with jagged rocks that would both destroy the ship smashing against them as well as make it nearly impossible to swim through without being slammed against them as well? Was it a sandy strip the offered an easy approach? Dawn had not yet revealed their pending experience. But Paul was in a position to encourage them, as he knew what God had promised. He knew all lives would be saved, and that as he tells them, not one of them would lose a single hair on their heads. We see that they did listen to him and were in fact encouraged and ate to their full and then prepared for the ensuing moments ahead. The life lesson for us today is in the words or rather the behavior of Paul. In the midst of a crisis when many have lost all hope, he encourages them. Although we may not have had a visiting angel to declare an outcome during some difficult times in life, and especially in the lives of those around us, we have the word of God and all the promises held within. This is the promise of God, he will sustain us, he will protect us, he will guide us, he will direct our paths, he will provide for us, he will heal us, he will, he will and he will. The word of God is filled to the brim with his faithfulness toward us and there may be times when we forget all that he does for us, in us and through us. We can always find encouragement within the word of God, and when our brothers and sisters are struggling with situations in life, we can be an encouragement to them, assuring them God has everything under control and their lives are in his hands. It has always been the lesson he has shown this man, as to not pay attention to all the hurdles in life, but to see the finish line. It is when we focus on the difficulties, as those men aboard that ship must have be doing, that is when we begin to lose hope. But if we remain focused on the finish line, as Paul was, we will know God will see us through. Paul stood firm on the word of the Lord and encouraged all those who were onboard, as well as made it clear his God would save them. Should we do any less? Should we not stand on the word of the Lord and declare God will save you, to all those who have lost hope? Should we not encourage?