November 12 Daily Devotional

Acts 27–28

Though Paul comforted those in the ship, the storm continued to rage. After two weeks had passed, one of the sailors thought that they were not far from some country. They sounded, and found it was twenty fathoms (about 120 feet); after a while they sounded again and found it fifteen fathoms. “Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea … Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.”

“While the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then they were all of good cheer, and they took some meat.”

When it was day, they could see the land, but they did not know the place. They discovered a bay with a beach, and lifting the anchors, they tried to enter the bay. “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground: and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves … They commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.”

The island was Melita. The barbarous people “showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened his hand.” When the natives saw this, they said, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he had escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.” Paul shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. But after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. Publius, the chief man of the island, received the survivors and lodged them three days courteously. The father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. Others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed.