Take Courage! — Scripture Reflection #033

Acts 27:22 (New Living Translation)

22 “But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.”

As the apostle Paul was being sailed to Rome to be tried by the Roman government, he and the rest of the crew faced storms and dangerous winds that prevented them from having a quick and easy trip. Along the way, Paul received an encouraging word from an angel of God, telling him to take courage. Despite the storms, no one would be hurt, and they would make it to their destination- even though their ship would not. Things played out exactly as the angel said.

During my time in college, I had a rough journey where I felt like the ship was going down with me in it. Nothing was going to plan, and everything that I was working so hard to achieve seemed to be sinking to the bottom of the sea. I was in a really rough spot, but I remember one of my mentors encouraging me by giving me a perspective on the situation. She reassured me by saying the season I was going through “was not the end of the world.”

It sounds a little bit insensitive, and it was not exactly what I wanted to hear at the time, but upon thinking about it further, the advice did help me to see that my situation was temporary. Instead of getting so caught up in how rough the winds and the waters around me were, I needed to trust that God would see me through it and then make the most of my situation.  

After the ship Paul was on was wrecked, he and the crew made it safely to an island where they were welcomed, cared for, and actually given a new ship to continue their trip. Likewise, God saw me safely through my storms in college. He cared for me and gave me what I needed for the next leg of my journey.

The Point: Take Courage! Even when your life may feel like it is going down like a ship at sea, God will not let you go down with it. In fact, He will likely use the “disaster” for your good, preparing you for the next leg of the journey!