Acts 27:25a – “I believe God.”
In Chapter 27, when it came time to decide; 1) to stay the winter in Crete or 2) set sail for Phoenix in early October, the centurion in charge of the voyage decided to followed the crowd (the master, owner and crew v.11) and set sail. Paul had warned him earlier of the dangers of sailing so late in the season but he did not listen to Paul, a tentmaker by trade but a man of God by profession.
Later during the voyage when a storm threatened the ship, it’s cargo and all on board, Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me and not loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to “be of good cheer”: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.” (Acts 27:21,22)
Again they must have thought, “what does a tentmaker by trade, a rabbi by profession and a prisoner by decree understand about the dangers of the sea?”
Paul went on to testify that there was an angel of God who spoke to him saying, “Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. (Acts 27:23,24) Therefore, Paul could say, “be of good cheer” and mean it. Why? - Because he believed God and not man. (Acts 27:25a)
This speaks volumes to me about decision-making and how not to follow the crowd or get impatient. But wait on the Lord by seeking a solid inner conviction, a Holy Spirit direction - not what the majority thinks. While mans wisdom can be helpful, God’s wisdom is perfect. Why settle for less?
The Truth
“If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
