"...now I urge"---Acts 27:22

Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.—-Act 27:22Paul, the prisoner, gave a pep-talk to the sailors, soldiers and fellow-prisoners before they were to be ship-wrecked. He began telling them to be encouraged because there would be no loss of life. He identified his source of this foreknowledge as the God with whom he had a personal relationship. It had been two weeks lost at sea due to a storm. Things looked grim. The men were desperate. No one had eaten in days, and the sailors were plotting to abandon ship. Paul, full of the Spirit of the Lord, took charge by encouraging the men that all would be fine, even though the ship was going to crash. At least it would crash on land. He got the men to eat in order to gain strength for the swim to shore, and he foiled the plot by the sailors to escape. He kept the 276 men together, and they made it safely ashore, although the ship was not so lucky. —- Sometimes things happen to us, because we are hanging around some bad people. However, it would be great if we turned that around, and great things happened to people for hanging around us. You see, God meant for Paul to make it where he was going. Not even a violent storm could stop that! These other folks were spared because God was looking out for Paul. Knowing Paul, God knew this would be an opportunity to bring glory to God as Paul would share the Gospel though all this. —- Not only were the 276 men likely saved spiritually as result of this experience, but God brought the Gospel to this island that was likely forgotten. Listen, God knows how to get the Gospel to faraway places! God cares more than you know.