Have you ever walked through a room you are familiar with in utter darkness? The room is so dark you cannot see your own hand in front of your face! It changes things, doesn’t it? In your mind you know where everything is placed in the room, however, you walk carefully…slowly…to avoid slamming your shin against a table or chair.
We cannot doubt in the darkness what we knew to be true in the light. The darkness of the storms of life can make you feel confused, disoriented, and unsure. It is like you are walking in utter darkness and cannot find your way! What do we do in those times? A gospel song writer expressed it this way:
“When God is silent and we don’t know
the way before us that we ought to go;
When we’ve attempted to do His will,
and yet His silence continues still.
Then it’s time to trust!
Yes, it’s time to remember that the LORD is faithful to His own.
If we hope, we shall yet be praising once again,
for his silence never means that we’re alone!”
The circumstances surrounding Paul have been pretty dark for some time now; however, Acts 28 begins to reveal God’s blessings amid the darkness of impossibilities. Here are 4 blessings amid the impossibilities:
28:1-2a – SAFETY
Everyone made it to the island safely.
This was no small task! This would require the crew, the soldiers, and the prisoners to survive a ship being torn apart and swimming or floating on broken pieces of wood (from the ship) a good distance. Consider the possibilities of how miraculous their safety is!
o It was colder. The shock of the water temperature could have caused some to go into shock or be short of breath making it hard to breath well enough to swim to land.
o The trauma of the torn-up ship could have caused some to have a swift heart rate causing not enough breath to swim to shore or just panic causing paralyzing fear.
o Not everyone can swim! It is amazing no one drowned!
God did this! God saved everyone! Everyone got to the island safely just like the angel told Paul. God was true to His Word!
28:2 – SYMPATHY
They were treated with great kindness by a “barbarous people”
Appearances can be deceiving! I have seen the biggest, scariest men weep. I have witnessed some of the most intimating looking men have the most tender heart to the gospel.
This wording (“barbarous”) was originally used for those who spoke a foreign language (I Cor. 14:11).
It then came to denote any foreigner ignorant of the Greek language and culture
After the Persian War, it acquired the sense of rudeness and brutality (Acts 28:2, 4)
These people were understood as rude and brutal, but they treated Paul and those from the ship with great kindness. Their kindness extended to a warm fire, food, and shelter (28:7). Their needs were being met!
28:3-6 – PROTECTION
God gives Paul more gospel opportunities through hardship.
God preserves Paul’s life after a venomous snake bite.
God builds Paul’s testimony quickly among the barbarians. The talk turns from “Paul is a murderer” to “Paul is a god.”
Daniel was taken captive as an 18-year-old, taken away from his family, and held captive for 70 years – and God gave him opportunities to point 3 kings of Babylon (the world powerhouse of the time) to Him!
Sometimes the Lord entrusts hardships to us to be used to point others to Him… and by God’s grace, we can be found faithful just as Paul was found faithful!
28:8-10 – PROVISION
God used Paul to meet needs. Many were healed and many honors bestowed on them. The commentators disagree on this point. Some say this indicates gifts or presents were given to them. Others declare that the Greek clearly shows this is not the case in this passage. However, no matter how the Maltese people honored them, it did show their great appreciation of Paul’s ministry among them.
We need to purposefully look for the blessings to be found amid the impossibilities of the storms of life. Keep your eye out for God’s hand at work in the good and the challenging circumstances that surround you!
4 Important Life Lessons:
1. Nothing can alter God’s timeline for my life…not a typhon, not a shipwreck, not a snake, and not even the mighty Roman army!
2. When everything seems out of control, God shows He is completely in control.
3. Even if I lose everything, God will still meet my needs.
4. Opportunities to serve the Lord can come in the most unexpected places.
Do not doubt in the darkness what you knew to be true in the light!