Eddie Lowe
Just A Thought
When you think of the word hope, what thoughts come to mind? For many, the word hope is associated with peace from war, while others think of hope as related to a business or finances. Hope may take on a different meaning depending on what rung of the social ladder you are on. In light of the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Helene, hope could be as small as preparing a hot meal in your own home, which seems a given until there is no house to do it in.
In my mind, a classic example of hope is in the Bible in Acts 27. In this chapter, we see the apostle Paul being held prisoner and transported by ship to Rome– an 1800 mile journey. Against the sound judgment of the apostle, the ship sets sail just before storm season and the sailors soon find themselves in the storm of a lifetime. Physical storms certainly relate to personal storms in our lives, so let’s look into this chapter and compare.
From a historical standpoint, no ships would set out on such a long journey this late in the year. A study will show that at the start of their journey, the ship would have been protected by the mountains, thus a calm wind. In our personal lives, there are many times we hinge our hope on “smooth sailing,” only to find life isn’t always easy. One call from the doctor or one letter in the mail and suddenly we find ourselves in a mental storm clinging to hope for better times. Hope is the harbor that shields us, but as we know in life, we must press on.
In Acts 27, we see a word used to describe this particular storm that is found only once in the Bible: Euroclydon. The definition of this word is a southeast wind that raises mighty waves. This is not a word you want associated with your sea voyage! In our personal lives, there are words we certainly don’t want to hear, such as cancer, fatality, or, for the farmer, blight. One certain word can be spoken and suddenly we are clinging to hope and longing for better days.
As we continue to read our Bible chapter, let us take note of the sailors’ actions and apply them to our personal lives when facing a storm. Verse 15 through 17 describes how the ropes holding the sails were taken loose. These physical ropes can be thought of as metaphors for the plans we make and how we may count on them to hold our course in life. But as we know, life has a way of throwing our plans into disarray and sometimes we have no idea what direction to go. That’s where hope comes in.
Verse 18 states they lightened the ship. A secular study says this was most likely a grain ship and to lighten the ship meant they threw off the cargo. In our personal lives, there will come a time when we need to throw some things out. Some examples would be bitterness, holding a grudge, or even changing jobs. The point is that we do what we must to have happiness and peace. At the start of their voyage, it would have been insane to think of throwing the grain off their ship, for after all this was their means of making a living. In our lives, maybe there is something or someone you need to leave behind. Hope will help you to do that.
Verse 20 tells us that the seamen lost all hope. This storm would certainly be their death. Have you ever lost all hope? If you’ve lived any length of time, you have looked at situations and lost all hope. Verse 21 and 22 tell us that Paul, after a long absence, proclaims that he has prayed and that God will make a way and that not one person would die– but he warns that the ship will be destroyed. The lesson we can take away from this is that a storm will change us and that we will lose some things, but ultimately God has a plan and that plan is packaged in hope.
A biblical account says there were 276 people on board. In the last verse, we see them floating safe to the shore. Hold on to hope even if your life plan doesn’t work out the way you thought it would.
Consider this final story to close. A boy is reading a western novel in which the damsel-in-distress is tied to the train tracks, while her hero is held captive. The boy reading becomes impatient to know the end of the story. He flips to the back of the book and sees the damsel and hero safe in a loving embrace. He then turns back to the present chapter and whispers, “You’ll be ok. I’ve read the back of the book and you win!” I also would like to say, I’ve read the back of the book and it’s gonna be okay!
