“So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” – Acts 27:25-26 (NIV)
Y’all, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about that moment when God’s promise and your circumstances seem to be at complete odds with each other. You know what I’m talking about—those seasons when you know God has called you to something, you’re absolutely certain of His promise, but everything around you feels like it’s falling apart.
Paul knew this feeling intimately.
When the Ship Goes Down But the Promise Stands
God had promised Paul he would get to Rome. Clear as day. But as Paul found himself in the middle of a nor’easter—waves so high you couldn’t see the person next to you—I imagine he might have wondered if he’d heard God correctly.
Can I tell you something? Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you don’t feel the storm. Paul felt every wave, every gust of wind, every moment of uncertainty. The storm was real, the danger was real, but so was God’s promise.
And here’s what gets me every time about this story: In Acts 27:22-24, God told Paul through an angel, “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘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'” (NIV).
Who says that? Who tells someone to take courage because their ship is going to wreck? Only a God who sees the bigger picture. Only a God who knows that sometimes what looks like destruction is actually His way of getting you exactly where you need to be.
Some Shipwrecks Need to Run Aground
Listen, there’s something about desperation that doesn’t matter if you’re the president of the bank or if you’re completely nameless. When you’re desperate for God, when only He can answer, the playing field has been leveled.
It’s in the God who positioned you as a leader. It’s in the God who placed you in that workplace, that school, that difficult family situation. You might not feel qualified, you might not think you have the experience to speak into the chaos around you, but God has given you the mantle of leadership because Christ is alive in you.
Don’t Jump Off the Ship
Paul’s message to everyone sailing with him was simple: stay on the ship. Don’t jump out of that marriage. Don’t abandon that financial situation. Don’t give up on that difficult relationship or that challenging season with your kids.
The human instinct when we see our boat going down is to jump overboard. But God’s word this morning is: take courage, the ship is going down, but I want you to stay on the ship. Because as it breaks apart, you’re going to grab onto a piece, and you’re going to wind up exactly where I want you to be.
You’re Not Alone on This Journey
Here’s something beautiful about Paul’s story—this journey wasn’t just about him getting to Rome. There were 276 people on that ship, and they all started listening to Paul because of who he served. As Acts 27:11 shows us, “But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship” (NIV). Paul wasn’t the captain, but eventually they listened to him because of who he served.
You have influence. You can speak into situations and bring wisdom because of who you serve. People will listen to you not because of your position, but because of the God you belong to. He is for them and not against them, and sometimes He’s going to use your voice, your presence, your perseverance to remind them of that truth.
The Malta Miracle
God told Paul he’d get to Rome, but first, he had to go through Malta. If you look at it on a map, this wasn’t the direct route. It wasn’t the quickest path from Point A to Point B. But God said, “You have to go through Malta first.”
Some of you are in places and seasons of life you never thought you’d be in. I want you to know—there is a miracle awaiting you in Malta. But much of it has to do with your perspective, with saying, “God, this journey isn’t just about me. It’s about all those who are sailing with me.”
Don’t miss the miracle in Malta because you’re just longing to get to Rome.
Faith Plus Perseverance
Several years ago, I was in the middle of a triathlon on Lake Erie. The waves were so high I couldn’t see the swimmer in front of me. I felt completely unprepared, watching grown men turn around and forfeit the race, saying the conditions weren’t favorable.
But here’s what hit me in that moment: it was going to take just as much effort to swim back to shore and drop out as it would to finish the race. So I thought, “You might as well just finish the course.”
When I came out of that water and looked at my watch, I realized I hadn’t lost a single minute. Not one. Despite feeling like I was just doggy-paddling, despite thinking I wasn’t making any progress, my time was exactly what I’d trained for.
The same waves that felt like they were drowning me actually propelled me to exactly where I was supposed to be.
You’re a Pacesetter Whether You Know It or Not
During the final leg of that race, when I started walking because I was exhausted, a woman came up behind me yelling, “Hey! Who starts walking one mile before the finish line?”
She told me she’d been pacing herself off me the entire race. I had no idea I was a pacesetter. I didn’t sign up to be one, but there was someone watching me, following my lead.
Here’s the truth: if you call yourself a Christian, God has set the mantle of leadership on you whether you feel like it or not. People are pacing themselves off of you. They’re watching your actions, your reactions, your parenting, how you lead in difficult circumstances.
Run Alongside Someone
That woman and I ran the final mile together—the fastest mile of the entire race. That only happens in community. The enemy’s goal is to isolate you, to make you think you have to finish this race alone.
But God never intended for us to do this by ourselves. We need each other. We are one body, one church, and it takes a community of people coming together, calling on the one true God.
Will you run this race together? Will you be willing to put your own goals aside and run alongside someone who’s about to quit one mile before their finish line?
It Will Be Exactly As God Said
Our faith and hope aren’t in the company, the community, or the government. Our hope is in the God who appointed every leader, who positions us exactly where we need to be for such a time as this.
You might feel like you’re drowning. You might feel like everything is falling apart. But the same waves you think are taking you under will actually propel you to the shore exactly where God wants you.
Keep running. Keep praying. Keep encouraging those around you. As Paul declared in Acts 27:25, “So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me” (NIV).
Because it will be exactly as God said—nothing out of order, no finish line coming too soon or too far away.
At just the right time, it will be exactly as God said.
Joel 2:25 reminds us, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” (NIV). God will restore the time that feels lost, but you have to stay in the race. You can’t forfeit.
Sara Forhetz is a radio host, podcaster, and speaker who encourages thousands daily through her authentic storytelling and bold faith. Follow her daily encouragement on Instagram @saraforhetz and tune in weekdays from 6-10 AM on 88.3 The Wind.
