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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
In Acts 27 we have been reading of this dramatic sea story which is so accurate in so many various ways. We have seen how this man of God’s life is rescued time and time again - and usually by the Romans - so that he could fulfil his mission for Christ Jesus in Rome - and - so that we can receive this reliable and authentic Word.
If God has promised to get you someplace, He will get you there, perhaps through courtrooms and prison cells and storms. "Through many dangers" If you are set on going where God wants you to be, you will arrive. It is not always a smooth journey, but He promises to be with us as we travel, and He will bring us out of the storms and dangers and troubles, if we are prepared to go through them.
The soldiers and prisoners came ashore on pieces of the debris from the ship which had broken up - but all arrived safely. This passage can almost leave you breathless!
It has been a challenging and dangerous voyage.Consider for a moment what Paul has been through since Agabus prophesied in Caesarea some two years previously. Trouble - arrest - imprisonment in Jerusalem - threats upon his life - that midnight journey down to Caesarea - where he faced two trials and was left languishing in prison for two years.And now, this fierce storm, with his life under threat again, not from the weather, but from soldiers.
Through all this he remains in the centre of the will of God, and when necessary, Jesus was prepared to intervene and minister directly, or send an angel with a comforting reassuring word.
This is a passage which can be questioned - challenged - investigated - checked and examined in various ways - and there are no discrepancies whatsoever. We can accept and trust God's Word in every aspect. There are no myths or legends here, and it is not a geography lesson. It is part of God's Word. It reveals some not very nice truths about men - rejecting what Paul had said - greed - grabbing the slightest chance - grain and profit - self first, even when there danger of other people losing their lives arises. It reveals marvellous truths about God and His Word. It reveals truths about God's Man, and he is so different from all the others in the Chapter.
There are things which I can do which God cannot do. I can disappoint people and let people down. God will never never disappoint you nor let you down. Over the generations men have discovered Him to be absolutely faithful. As He has been, so He will for ever be. Let that reassure and comfort and strengthen you as you serve and witness and minister this coming week.Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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