Acts 27:1-12 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 27:1-12. Let’s go!
Acts 27:1-12 (NIV)
1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.
2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.
4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.
5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.
6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.
7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.
8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them,
10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”
11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.
12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
On verses 1-12: Paul and other prisoners are heading for Rome and these verses detail the first stages of their voyage. Notice that when the winds were especially strong, Paul’s ship would head toward the “lee” of a nearby island, in one case the “lee” of Cyprus (v4), in another case the “lee” of Crete (v7). What is a “lee”? A “lee” is the sheltered side of something, the side that is away from the wind. When the winds were strong, Paul’s shipmates would look for a lee and go to it for shelter from the storm. In fact, we see a contrast here between the lees that provided shelter for Paul’s ship (v4, 7) and a harbor in Crete that was not suitable for Paul’s ship to stay in (v12).
Just as Paul’s ship was looking for a sheltering lee, when you’re in the middle of a storm, you need a shelter. God provides the safest lee you can turn to and find shelter in: Himself. Under the cross where Jesus died, we find the safest lee, where our sins are forgiven and where the storm of God’s wrath – while still raging strong – does not come near us. Praise God that when we were in the middle of a storm, God provided us with a lee in which to find shelter.
It’s that same idea that fuels Psalm 91 below. I encourage you to read Psalm 91 to yourself, and then find one phrase or one verse that you especially resonate with and say it out loud a couple times, making it your own.
Psalm 91:1-16 (NIV)
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling– even the LORD, who is my refuge–
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
I pray the blessing of Psalm 91 for you in this season. God is with you and He is your shelter in the storm.
Heavenly Father, thank You that in Your Son Jesus and His cross, I find the safest and most secure shelter, such that I don’t need to fear when storms come. Thank You that You are with me, You will protect me and I have everything I need in You for this season. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
