Reaching Safety

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

REACHING SAFETY

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

There is one more point within this 27^th chapter that is interesting and bears some consideration. Although this is the narrative regarding the grounding of the ship  on the island of Malta, which we know from the next chapter, and the method by which all souls were saved, per what the angel of the Lord told Paul would happen, it also serves us as a spiritual example. There is always someone who wants to kill the prisoners who are captive to sin. These soldiers could be an example of either Satan or those who would try to persuade us to leave the faith and join their rebellion against God. This could also be an example of us in the church who are satisfied that we have a way to safety but are fine with allowing the prisoners of sin to perish. Here is where the centurion comes in, serving as an example of Christ, wanting all the souls on board to reach the safety of shore. God is never content with any souls perishing and will find a method for them to reach the heavenly shore. If a person can swim, that is he can find his own way to the heavenly shore, it serves as those who are open right away to the fact the Jesus is our way to life on the shores of heaven. However, some might need to grab hold of something, a plank, or a piece of information that serves as a way for them to reach the shore. That is God provides a way for those who need help to reach that heavenly shore. We also noticed that no matter if they were swimmers or need to cling to a piece of the ship, all needed to abandon the ship, and jump overboard. This also can serve to give us the idea that in order to reach the heavenly shore, we must jump overboard, and abandon the ship of sin. Sure some took pieces of that ship to reach shore, and maybe we might take just a small piece of that ship of sin with us as well. For it would be true that none of us are totally free of sin, although we have jumped ship and are headed straight for the shore of the kingdom of God. Still, we should never be content until all souls reach land safety.