Title: God's Grace in the midst of despair
Contents
God came to Paul amidst the despair of a storm. And he poured out wonderful grace on Paul. What was the grace of God that Paul experienced during the storm?
1. It is the grace of comfort.
It was the most difficult night when God came to Paul. It was a dark night, a night of despair. Verse 23 says, “Last night an angel of the God I serve, whom I belong to, stood by me and said,” Last night Paul was talking about was one of the most difficult nights of Paul's life. At that time, God came to Paul through an angel.
In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are beaten and imprisoned because they saved a slave girl possessed by a demon. But when they woke up in the middle of the night to pray and sing praises to God, God heard their prayers and performed a miracle.
In this way, God comes to comfort us on a night of loneliness, fear, and despair and wipes away our tears. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, it is said that God is able to comfort those who are in all tribulation. That's right. God is not the only comforter of Paul. I hope that God will comfort you and me now.
2. It is the grace that confirms the mission.
If there is one thing that makes us strongest, it is our mission. Paul was a man who laid down his life for a mission. Those who have received a mission are not afraid of death. However, the most painful and terrifying thing for those who have received a mission is to die without fulfilling the mission. When Paul was suffering from such fear, God came to him and confirmed Paul's mission. Verse 24 says, “Do not be afraid, Paul, for it is said that you must stand before Caesar, and that God has given you all those who sail with you.”
In Acts 23, God came to Paul and spoke to him on the night that Paul was being tried in the council. Acts 23:11 says, “That night the Lord stood by Paul and said, “Be of good cheer; just as you testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” The words of verse 24 that confirmed Paul's mission by coming to him in the midst of a storm are confirmation once again of what God had already said to Paul in 23:11. The moment Paul received these words, he experienced peace and comfort, and confirmed his calling. On that dark night his soul stood before Caesar...