But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have 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. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. (Acts 27:21-26)
In Acts 27, we read about what possibly was one of Paul’s worst days. He was imprisoned on a boat full of hardened criminals and Roman soldiers in an increasingly anti-Semitic world. Not only was that bad enough, but his ship had also been going through a storm for days. The sky was so black with clouds they couldn’t even see the sun. The passengers were sick and couldn’t eat. Their boat was being thrashed about as if it were a toy. Since the sun, moon, and stars were hidden by the clouds, they couldn’t get their bearings; the captain of the ship couldn’t even tell where they were or what direction they were going.
When we read about storms in the Bible, we should remember that they didn’t have the protection and safety technology we have today. People often died in voyages in the first century. By all practical standards, it looked like this boat would sink and all on board would drown.
When the situation seemed impossible, God sent Paul an angel with a word of comfort and reassurance. The messenger from God said that despite the turbulent circumstances, not a single life would be lost on board the ship if they followed his instructions. Paul got up and encouraged everyone on the ship because He was assured that God had a plan and made him a promise, and he knew God always keeps His promises.
Practical Application
God sends angels to believers to not only bring protection but also to bring comfort, guidance, and protection during chaotic moments.