Acts 28:1-16 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 28:1-16. As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Acts 28:1-10 (NIV)
1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.
2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.
7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably.
8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.
9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.
10 They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.
On verses 1-10: Has anyone ever judged you and jumped to conclusions about you because of your circumstances? In Acts 28:34, Paul is bitten by a snake and based on these unfortunate circumstances the residents of Malta assume he is guilty of murder. But when Paul shows no ill effects from the snake bite, those same people change their minds and call him a god (v6)! That’s how fickle public opinion can be.
In the minds of people who don’t know you well, you can go from a murderer to a god in a moment, from being demonized to being deified.
But Paul didn’t worry about any of that. Instead, he just kept doing his best to serve God and love people. He prays for the father of Malta’s chief official Publius (v7-8) and he is healed. Paul also prays for other sick people (v9) and they are healed. After spending three months with the people of Malta, Paul and his team are honoured by the people of Malta.
It goes to show you can’t always control what people think of you or what conclusions they will draw from your circumstances. But you don’t have to worry about that. If you will just focus on loving God and being faithful to His calling on your life, in the end, you will win respect, both in heaven and on earth from those whose opinions matter the most.
As Proverbs 3:3-4 says,
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
Acts 28:11-16 (NIV)
11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux.
12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days.
13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.
14 There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.
15 The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul thanked God and was encouraged.
16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
On verses 11-16: Paul’s journey to Rome, which ultimately spanned years, can be divided into two parts. There was first an extremely dangerous, tumultuous part where his life was in danger at almost every turn (attempts on his life, potential floggings, court proceedings with his life on the line, imprisonments, a shipwreck and a snakebite). This was followed by a much more peaceful part where Paul gets to live near a sandy beach in Malta, is treated honourably by the chief official of Malta, experiences relatively peaceful travels (v11-13), befriends new Christian friends (v14-15) and is allowed to live by himself in peace under Roman guard (v16).
What can we learn from this? Praise God that while there are challenges with every season, not every season is tumultuous and stormy.
So when you’re experiencing a time of relative peace and quiet, thank God.
When you’re experiencing a time of intense busyness or trouble, trust God.
And in every season no matter what, hang onto God.
When you do, you can be confident that God will take you to the destination He always meant for you.
Father, thank You that through every season, whether stormy or peaceful, whether the winds of other people’s opinions are for me or against me, my life is always safe in Your hands. May I hang onto love and faithfulness no matter what the season, knowing that the One who is love and faithfulness is hanging onto to me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
