When we last left Paul, he was on trial before Festus and Agrippa, when he appealed to Caesar. So now, he is being shipped off to Rome, the capital of the empire, where Caesar was located.

What I want to look at in today’s chapter is how Paul encouraged the men onboard the ship when it looked like all was lost. Paul had already told them that he belonged to God and that he served God, and that an angel had told him that all on board would be spared.

Now, I can imagine the reaction he must have gotten from the sailors and other prisoners on the ship. I think there would have been a lot of scoffing, don’t you?

But at the height of the storm, two weeks into it, Paul encourages the men to eat in order to live. And he reminded them that they would not come to harm in the storm. But words are cheap. So, in their sight, he took some bread, gave thanks to God and ate. And they were all filled with hope.

Sometimes, God puts us in situations where we can bring hope and make a difference. Without hope, the will to carry on or even the will to live can be extinguished. I know in my own life there have been times where it seemed that all was lost, and then God would bring someone to encourage me with a word from the Lord, and I knew I could make it another day.

We need to be willing to be the one to bring hope to a dark situation. It really can save a life and even bring someone to the throne of God.