Summer At Sea: Week 13 Day 3
ACTS 27:39-44
39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.
Decisions, decisions! People are faced with decisions every day, many of them about minor things, but others literally a matter of life or death. I have occasionally struggled with deciding what to eat at a restaurant, which clothes to buy, or where to go on a vacation. These situations are really minuscule compared to more serious choices.
In today’s Bible passage, the Apostle Paul, the Roman guards, the crew, and all other passengers aboard their wrecked ship were at a breaking point in the storm; it was becoming “every man for himself.” The Roman soldiers wanted to take matters into their own hands and kill the prisoners, including Paul, so the prisoners wouldn’t escape. The centurion, or Roman commander, however, decided to spare their lives and help them get to land safely. It literally was a matter of life or death, and the decision fell completely on the centurion’s shoulders. In fact, he had spared them earlier in the storm too!
Through one man’s actions, God providentially continued Paul’s incredible life mission to help both Jews and Gentiles choose Christ and build the early Christian church. Their salvation truly was a matter of eternal life or death, and the centurion was an integral part of carrying on God’s plan through Paul.
So we really do have a choice to decide for ourselves whether to live or die spiritually. Physical death is inevitable, but it’s not the end of our story! Where we spend eternity is the most important choice we will ever make. Will you decide for or against God? And will you be a part of God’s plan to help others decide to accept salvation through Christ?