Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

Acts 27
Paul Sails for Rome
1When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
3The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.
9Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast.[a] So Paul warned them, 10"Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." 11But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.
The Storm
13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the "northeaster," swept down from the island. 15The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. 17When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island."
The Shipwreck
27On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[b] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet[c] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet[d] deep. 29Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." 32So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.
33Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven't eaten anything. 34Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." 35After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.
39When 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. 40Cutting 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. 41But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.
42The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43But 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. 44The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.
Footnotes:
a. Acts 27:9 That is, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
b. Acts 27:27 In ancient times the name referred to an area extending well south of Italy.
c. Acts 27:28 Greek twenty orguias (about 37 meters)
d. Acts 27:28 Greek fifteen orguias (about 27 meters)
~Lena’s Journalin’~
Do you see how it was decided for these which way and where they would go? They did not choose this route, or manner of travel or “way”. Even an Apostle was placed (by God) into a man’s hand? He was left to this man’s decisions, etc? Evere feel your destiny being stirred by the will of others? Or yur life in other’s hands?
Adramyttium means: "I shall abide in death".
So no matter, the family we find ourselves in, the situations or job positions we hold or where we live, God can and will take our lives and allow the hands of men to be upon us, steering us more and more towards trust and reliance on Him. It really did not matter here how fair or unfair things were, was God invited into the situation? Would God be allowed to be with them on the journey, through the storm? Or would people disregard the hand of God as it appeared to be manifested as a man’s hand? Would they say, “God is surely NOT in this situation?”, God would not allow this or that, or be angry that God actually “allowed” this to happen to them?
I’d think twice before disregarding God in the future, whether circumstances, relationships, positions or any other situation are uninvited by us or not. I’d be seeking to find Him in any and every place. Calling on Him and making Him known on the journey as Lord and King!
No matter, the matter, no matter the whatevers- abiding til death!
Some of the suffering we incur inside of our journey would be from lack of the acknowledgement of Him and His will and plan. Our lack of seeking of God’s face and wisdom on matters that seem to not involve Him at all by outward appearance could be detrimental to the outcome in any given situation or “storm”.
How do we move on? By continuing in faith, no matter what. Continue in faith.
How difficult is it to hold faith? Very, at times, very difficult. Why? Some of the journey was charted out and our enemy got a hold of the map and has purposely set up traps to get us off course or quit in our continuity and especially our journey of faith.
Just because there is diffuculty, does not mean that God is not involved, or could become involved. He never said , “if you serve Me, you’ll never hit a storm and anything you do will cause all weather patterns to become still in your presence.” He never promised we’d not lose things along the way. I believe these are all tests given, yes even by satan, to see how very strong, or very weak our faith is or has become. To see if what we proclaim in “Christian-ese”, is real or just talk.
I find that as I walk closer and closer to and with the Lord that I see how many weights of life need to come off and be shed off of me. I see how things become so trivial and meaningless, while people and just being obedient to God is of utmost prominence on my priority list.
Notice when people are closer to death, priorities get real clear. Real clear! Suddenly what we thought was so important, becomes so easy to do without and life or the salvation of others becomes what is desired to salvage and save.
The voices of and the wisdom of others becomes very very important to the navigation through the rest of the journey, and hearing the voice of our savior is imperative.
Do you see how this parallels the spiritual needs of priority, relationship, heeding advice of others, etc? Storms bring immediate maturity!
This word is fitting for all of us- purpose preserves life. God showed Paul his days beyond these. This purpose gave him assurance of life, this purpose no matter how small, preserved his life, renewed and regenerated his faith and also that of others. Grab a hold of a purpose from God and LIVE- DO not let go! You’ll go thorugh just about any storm you have to get through if you have a sense of purpose!
What do you think this spiritually means and applies to when it was said- unless you stay with the ship you’ll lose your lives?
I believe it has many-fold meanings. Some would be to stay where God has put you, yes that job, that relationship, that church etc. get through and then ask God where you should go on to, don’t quit in the interim. Don’t quit, in some cases we will grow on, but quitting is not a part of God’s nature. Ask and seek His help through the storm, get through it. growing on does not always mean leaving where you are physically, but growing up and becoming a different you inside of the same situation.
I have heard of the ship as being the faith, the fellowship of the church and Christ’s body. I’ve heard of the sea as being the world. If we are involved with the world rather than the people of God and the things of God it is hard for some to be truly and solidly saved.
Ever hear of “get on board”? These literally did float on board, till they reached land! Maybe you have been wandering in your faith or not solid in the fellowship with the people of God’s house, it is time to “get on board” and make it safe to land/and the next steps towards greater purpose.

(daily repetitive verse)
2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.