Today, if you read Acts 27, you will find yourself at around 59AD, in a storm … on a ship with Paul … headed for Rome. There is nothing fair about why Paul is on this ship as a prisoner. No religious leader, Roman commander, local governor or king found a reasonable charge against him. Yet, there he was.

Even before Paul got on the ship, a commander swooped in to save him from being “torn to pieces” by a raging mob in Jerusalem. Later Paul’s nephew learned of and reported a plot to kill Paul.

Once safely on board, Paul again faced grave danger when the ship became lost at sea, swept off course by “a wind of hurricane force”.

Let’s see how God continued to protect Paul in the midst of this chaos and send blessings.

• God sent an angel saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you” (Acts 27:24). I love how others were blessed merely by Paul’s presence on the ship.

• Then, when the ship was grounded and breaking apart, God foiled the soldiers’ plan to kill the prisoners to prevent them from escaping. Because a centurion, a Roman officer, wanted to spare Paul’s life, all prisoners were safe.

• Watch God keep His promise: “[E]veryone reached land in safety” (Acts 27:44).

• Once on shore, the entire boatload of people was blessed when “the islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all” (Acts 28:2).

I am in awe that even in our troubles, God sends blessings. May we recognize and be thankful for all the ways God meets our needs during life’s storms.