“For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, Saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. However, we must run aground on a certain island.”(v.23-26)
Here in our text, God sent an angelic messenger to Paul to bring good, encouraging news when all else seemed hopeless. This wasn’t a direct appearance of Jesus (as in Jerusalem, Acts 23:11), but of an angel who said to Paul, "Do not be afraid. Indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you."
There was a reason Paul needed to hear this. He was afraid in the storm, for both himself and those with him. Paul knew he would make it to Rome because God promised it. Yet in the storm (here, a literal storm) it was easy to doubt and Paul needed the assurance from God for the safety of everyone on the ship.
Paul then turns to all on board this sinking ship and says, "take heart, men. I believe God that it will be just as it was told me." He couldn’t keep this hope to himself. He had to pass it on to both the believers on board the ship and to those who had not yet believed. Paul’s confident word to the troubled sailors on a storm-tossed ship express the essence of what it means to put our faith in God and His Word. God said it to Paul (through an angel) and Paul said to everyone on board, “I believe God.”
Notice what Paul said here, “I believe God.” He didn’t say, “I believe in God.” Every demon in hell agrees with the existence of God. Paul declared his total confidence in God’s knowledge of his situation and His promise in his situation. Paul believed God when there was nothing else to believe. He couldn’t believe the sailors, the ship, the sails, the wind, the centurion, human ingenuity or anything else – only God. Paul’s unshakable confidence in God made him a leader among men, even though he was a prisoner of Rome.
Finally Paul says, "However, we must run aground on a certain island." This was mixed news, and in these circumstances to run aground might be fairly called to shipwreck. Paul essentially said, “We’re all going to shipwreck on an unknown island, but everyone will be alright.” A certain island means that God did not tell Paul everything about what was going to happen. Paul had to trust that God knew which island they would run aground on, even if Paul didn’t know.
