Every Soul Safe to Land

The Story

Paul was finally on his way to Rome, a prisoner on a cargo ship with 276 people on board. It was late in the sailing season, and Paul warned the crew that the voyage would end in disaster if they kept going. They ignored him.

Soon a violent storm called the Euroclydon caught the ship. For days on end, they couldn’t see the sun or the stars. The crew threw cargo overboard, then the ship’s own gear. The Bible says, “all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.”

Then Paul stood up in the middle of the ship. “Be of good cheer,” he told them. An angel of God had stood by him that night and said, “Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” Paul said, “I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.”

On the fourteenth night, they drew near land. Paul urged everyone to eat, since they had gone without food for two weeks. He took bread, gave thanks to God in front of them all, and began to eat. Everyone was encouraged and ate too.

At daybreak, they tried to run the ship onto a beach, but it struck a sandbar and began breaking apart in the waves. Some swam. Others floated in on planks and broken pieces of the ship.

And every single one of the 276 people made it safely to land, on the island of Malta.

Reflection