Hope Fulfilled

DEVOTION

 THE BOOK OF ACTS

HOPE FULFILLED

Acts 27:39-44

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.

NIV

Safety from this raging sea is in sight and hope is restored within their hearts. It even appears to be a nice sandy beach, free from rocks that could destroy them all. But the unseen sandbar prevented their plans from being completed. Yet even with the additional obstacle of this sand bar, they were close enough to swim into shore, that is except the prisoners who the soldiers would have rather killed then chance their possible escape, which included Paul. The centurion would have nothing of that and ordered his soldiers to allow all men to attempt to reach the shore, either by swimming or floating on some piece of the breaking apart ship. Safety was in sight for all, just as Paul had declared to them, that God was going to make sure none of them lost not even a single hair on their heads. Was it God who moved in the heart of that centurion? Had he taken to heart the words of Paul and seeing those words being fulfilled in that there was now safety in reach, felt some sense that Paul’s God was the God of creation and it was him who brought them through to this safe haven? Whatever the reason, all men reach land in safety and thus fulfilling the word of the Lord as spoken by Paul. There are several life applications we could focus on here. First we could, once again, see the salvation of the Lord. Secondly we could see that when God speaks his promise, Paul spoke it out loud in faith of it happening. It seems that kind of speech has fallen or was left behind in the annals of history. It seems many believers are not willing to declare what God has promised them. Once again, it is doubtful that any of us today have entertained angels who imparted a personal promise from God. Yet perhaps we have and did not recognize them for who they were. But we do have the recorded word of God which is filled with promises. There are times when many of us not only do not declare them, but may not even believe in them as we go about making our own plans, trying to fulfill our own desires, living as if God had not promised us anything other than eternal life. In this complete narrative we have seen severe hardship inflicted by forces greater than man, caused most to loose all hope and we have seen a promise from God that all would be saved, now we see that promised fulfilled and hope restored. It would seem if we declared his promises and witnessed their completion many would have hope restored. Hope in God that is. When man has determined his own path, his own plans and sets out to accomplish that which he has determined, he has no hope in God. But when God promises and fulfills those promises, he shows man who has the authority over the natural in hopes their hope will be restored. God desires for us to believe him, to hope in him and to live in the manner, declaring his promises and believing in their completion. God brings hope, God is hope fulfilled.