Acts 27:27-36 

²⁷On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic 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 deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet 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 drift 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.

More Sadness than Happiness

A bright student thoughtfully observed in her very young age that life on earth has more share of sadness than happiness. More people are wondering if this is the plan of God for humans to experience more sadness than happiness on earth. If not, why then that we normally experience lesser happy moments?

In Luke 10:18, ¹⁸Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Christ says in John 10:10, ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Who has stolen your happiness? Who wanted to kill your joy and destroy your excitement in life? The Lord knows it that more sadness than happiness has already prevailed in this world. He came not only to save us from hell but also to give us back the fullness of life on earth that God intended us to have.

The joy, peace, patience, patience and every good thing comes from the Lord. But why is it that we still have fear about the unknown?

1.  Fear

²⁷On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic 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 deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet 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.

Fear is also experienced by non-believers and even by self-confessed believers. The sailors haven’t dashed against the rocks yet but they anticipated it to happen. They did not desire to be part of the disaster that’s why they wanted to escape. They hope to escape a tragedy they were scared that might happen.

Do you normally feel afraid that something horrible might happen in the near future? Everyone has a share of aversion. We sometimes presume that unpleasant things happened to others might happen to us. So, before such disaster turns out as we anticipate, we would make necessary move to avoid any unwanted events to happen.

The sailors took sounding of the depth of the sea to determine the right depth when to drop anchor. That was also to prevent hitting the rock that may destroy the ship. Their actions exhibit their expertise about sailing. But their expertise cannot prevent them from fear of possible disaster. They were scared of accident even before it happens.

Scared of disaster is common to man but why are believers not spared from fear?

We claim that Christ, the Lord of lords is in our life. Christ is our Savior from eternal punishment and He is also our saviour in this life, right? Why are we still afraid or frightened if we have Christ in us as our Savior and Lord?

Fear of the unknown makes it more obvious that we have not submitted our soul fully to the Lordship of Christ. The part of us that would sense aversion, fear, or sense of displeasure to probable disaster or accident, our soul, is not fully and not completely lorded over by the Spirit of Christ. When we allow the Spirit of Christ to actively prevail over our soul completely, we have peace not fear, joy not sadness, love not grievances.

Jonah

We can learn from Jonah about having no fear. In Jonah 1:11-16, ¹¹The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked Jonah, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

¹²“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” Jonah replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

¹³Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. ¹⁴Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” ¹⁵Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

The sailors who asked Jonah what they should do were expert in sailing and they were scared of the storm. Jonah was not even a fisherman, but during storm, he was sleeping. When Jonah told the sailors to pick him up and throw him into the sea, they ignored him because that was never their way to stop storm or survive a storm.

Jonah was not scared to be thrown into the sea, why? Until God’s instruction for him is not fulfilled, (to go to the great city of Nineveh to preach against its wickedness) God won’t allow him to die. How did Jonah know that throwing him overboard would stop the storm? Would God include others around us to be punished if we disobey?

Jonah knew that his disobedience caused the Lord to send storm. Still the Spirit of God was at work in the disobedient Jonah and caused him not to fear getting drowned.

Many self-confessed believers would not attend Sunday worship intentionally because they are scared of being left behind in this material world. They are scared of not having material things like their neighbors. The Bible is very clear that God would not allow His faithful servant to be put to shame. In Romans 10:11, ¹¹As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

In Romans 5:5, ⁵And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us…

When Christ’s Spirit prevails in us, in our mind, soul, and heart, we find hope in Him. God allows us to sense fear for us to find encouragement from our Lord Jesus.

2.  Encouragement

 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 drift 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.

Paul restated that everyone who sailed with him will survive the storm as long as they stay with him. Paul has been staying closely to the centurion, and the centurion was growing in his trust to Paul’s words. He must have observed that whatever Paul has told them, it happened as Paul has pronounced it.

Paul has exemplified that there was nothing to be afraid of. If the Lord says that not one among them who sails with him will die, God will do it as He promised. When Paul ate bread, he displayed hopefulness in God. To hope in God is to continue to do things that are beneficial to health and life, eating as example. When they were all encouraged to eat food, did God move their hearts too?

Have you received an instruction from God? What if God is calling to join the Short-Term Missions, how do you know that God wanted you to join Him in His work? How do you know that God had called you in the ministry he wants you to join?

STM

When I joined the Short-term mission in 2004, I sent out prayer letters. I never ask people to give me money. I never told them how much I need. I just wrote them to pray that God would mobilize people to give me financial support for mission. My purpose was for God to show me that if I am called to mission, then, He will provide.

I was not very sure that I was called to mission. I did not have enough personal finances that I needed for mission. So, if God would mobilize people to give enough for mission then I will go. If not enough, then, I would give back to the person who gave me.

Paul was very sure that God wanted him to go to Rome. Clear instruction from God made him very sure that God would save him including those who will sail with him. When God speaks clearly, there’s no fear about the unknown. God’s encouragement prevails and no fear to continue what God wanted us to do.

When people gave finances I needed for short-term mission, I was so encouraged and never found fear even when we were in a country of foreign tongues for 2 months.

Fear and encouragement are spices of life on earth. God allows fear for us to confirm more if we really trust God. Encouragement is always available in the Lord. When we allow Christ to Lord over our life fully, we have found the secret of life without fear.

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