Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Acts 28 finds Paul and the other 275 wet and cold survivors washed up on the shore of the Island of Malta, located between the toe of Italy and Tunisia. What a desperate situation! What a great “3-hour cruise” this turned out to be –happy that they were alive, but sitting on the beach of an island with nothing. No dry clothes, no food, no supplies. Oh, and did I mention, no ship? It doesn’t appear that Paul was very worried. He just starts gathering firewood, UNTIL HE GETS BIT BY A SNAKE. All caps for those of you who really, really hate snakes. Me, not so much, but even I marvel at the fact that he just shakes it off his hand into the fire. Sounds pretty casual, doesn’t it? Sounds a lot like what you or I would have done. NOT. Luke would have needed to add another entire chapter detailing my efforts to remove this creature from my presence, but let’s think about this. Paul had been told by God to go to Rome and preach (Acts 23:11). Did he, for one minute, think that God was not going to provide for what He had asked him to do? Do you and I, for one minute, think God is not going to provide for what He has asked us to do?
It gets even better. The natives who had befriended them were certain that the snake bite was just the (little g) gods’ way of punishing him. After pulling up a chair and patiently waiting for Paul to die, they decided that since he didn’t, well, he must be a god now. It’s funny how quickly public perception can change. Paul goes on to not only not die for their amusement but also heal the island leader’s father and several other natives. His healing touch prepared the way for their eventual departure as the islanders provided them with all that they needed for their continued journey to Rome.
The lesson here: the soldiers, the sailors, and the prisoners continued to have their lives blessed simply by their association with God’s man, Paul.
Well, as you read, Paul finally gets to Rome and pleads his case with his fellow Jews. Some believed, some did not. That’s OK. Paul did what God asked him to do. And for two years, he got to stay, not in jail, but in his own place and preach to Jews and Gentiles alike. And don’t miss the last word. Verse 31 said he did this “with all openness, unhindered.”
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.