Special Verse: Acts 27: 31

 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.

Reflection: Trust God’s Counsel

In Acts 27, Paul found himself in a challenging situation after his advice to those in authority was ignored. Have you ever been in a situation where you advised someone over you, only to face trouble when your counsel was disregarded? Living in a fallen world, we often face the negative consequences of others' choices—a reality that often prompts the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” The answer, in part, lies in the decisions people make.

Paul had earlier in the chapter counselled the people in charge of the ship not to set sail. However, they trusted more in their own knowledge of the sea, disregarded Paul, who was only a prisoner headed to Rome, and put to sail. This disobedience led to a terrible shipwreck. All would have died in the sea if they had not eventually heeded Paul's advice in verse 31. Had Paul not been on board, all the passengers would have perished, but God saved them because of Paul’s presence and testimony.

Three lessons you can take from this story are:

1. Do not lean on your own understanding or that of experts; always listen to what the Holy Spirit tells you, even if it contradicts the experts.

2. Even when other people make wrong decisions that affect you, you can trust in the grace of God to protect you, as He did Paul.

3. Always speak up when the Holy Spirit tells you to warn people, even if you know no one will listen to you. Do your part and leave the outcome to God.
   

Prayer Focus

Let us take a moment to lift up our hearts in prayer.