Since much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because even the fast was already over, Paul advised them saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” The centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.
– Acts 27:9–11
If you know the story here in Acts 27, you know that Paul is a prisoner at this point. He’s about to be transported by ship. And he knows what is coming ahead is not good for that ship, its cargo or its passengers. So he gives this warning, but the centurion does not listen to Paul. And they set out and before long there’s this massive storm that they face and they are shipwrecked.
Acts 27:9–11 Shows God’s Sovereignty at Work in the Life of Paul
But as I think about these verses, I put myself in Paul’s shoes. This is part of what we want to do when we meditate on God’s word. Just really soak it in. What would that have been like? And I’ve got to imagine that it was super frustrating for Paul. Here he is, he’s warning, This is not good guys, let’s not do this. And they don’t listen to him and they do exactly the opposite of what he is saying to do.
When I think about how frustrating that is, I think about certain times in my own life. And I don’t assume for a moment that I’ve always been right in this or that circumstance. But when I’ve thought something was best, and I’ve tried to steer things in that direction, but in a way that’s been out of my control, it’s gone in the exact opposite direction. In some circumstances like that, it’s not gone well. And I’m guessing we’ve all experienced that frustration in some way.
But it’s good to remember in those moments, isn’t it, that when things are out of our control, God is ultimately in control. And just say that one more time in a way that I hope will bring great encouragement to many of us today. And just hold on to this reality for moments, for days when you find yourself frustrated when things are out of our control. Rest in the reality that God is ultimately in control.
And as you read through Acts 27, as the storm comes, God works in ways that are good, and he ultimately accomplishes his purpose. And it’s really good to know that God never gets frustrated in the sense that we do because ultimately his purposes are always accomplished. Nothing can frustrate or prevent the purposes of God from coming to pass.
Acts 27:9–11 Encourages Us to Trust God in the Midst of Uncertainty
So we pray, God, we praise you as the one who is in control, and we say together right now, we are glad that you are in control and we are not. Even as I recount times where I think something should have happened and people do the opposite. And turns out I should have done what I was saying. God, there are so many times, far more times where I’ve thought this or that was best, and you have redirected in ways that were far better.
All glory to your name. I’m so glad. We are so glad that with our finite foolish minds, our hearts that are prone to sin, that you who are perfect and holy and righteous and just and merciful, that you are in control. God, we praise you that you have all power and you are all loving, that you are all wise and all good, that you are just, and that you will work all things together according to your purposes for the good of your people.
Oh, glory be to your name for your sovereignty, for your control over everything. So God help us to trust you today. Help us to do in circumstances that we are facing what you call us to do, not to sit back in a passive disobedience or passive indifference because you are sovereign. God, help us to obey you today, to walk in wisdom today knowing that we’re not in control and there are many things we can’t control. So God, please help us to let go of control, to trust that you are sovereign over everything and you are trustworthy.
God, we pray that you help us to live with this perspective, especially when we face hard or frustrating times. And God, we pray for the accomplishment of your purposes in hard and frustrating times, in difficult, in trying times. Oh God, as we pray for the accomplishment of your purposes, we pray specifically that you would work all things together for the spread of your glory among all the peoples of the earth.
Praying for the Aghul People
Lord, control everything toward the end, that all the peoples experience your salvation, that all the peoples experience your grace and your mercy in the gospel. We pray specifically for the Aghul people of Russia, 35,000 of them, shepherds in rural areas. God, we pray for the spread of your love in Jesus to the Aghul people of Russia.
We pray especially during these days of war in Russia and Ukraine, for the spread of your peace in Jesus, for the proclamation of the gospel, for the building up of your church in Russia and Ukraine, for the spread of the gospel during these days we pray, all for the glory of your name according to your ultimate purpose in the world. Oh God, we praise you as the one who is in control. And we pray that you would help us to trust you and your control over all things, especially when we walk through hard days. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
