Acts 27-28 • Adventure in God’s Protective Hand

ByMelanie Newton Acts
Acts 27-28-Adventure in God's Protective Hand-Melanie Newton
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Have you ever voluntarily walked beside a friend through danger, hardship, or other challenging “adventure,” knowing it would be very hard on you as well? What kept you going? How did that affect your friendship? Has someone done that for you? In the last blog, we looked at how to recognize God’s goodness on our adventure with Jesus even in the most difficult and painful times. This is post #12 in the Radical Acts blog series. In this article, we will see how we are never out of God’s protective hand on our adventure with Him. Will you trust Him for the adventure in your life?

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from our Radical Acts Bible Study covering the book of Acts in the New Testament. (11 lessons)

On the Adventure

At the beginning of this Radical Acts blog series, we defined adventure as, “an unusual or exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.” Our English word comes from the Latin for “about to happen.” Wow! What a way to look at life following Jesus. Something IS about to happen! The interesting thing for the believer is that the journey is just as important as the destination. That is the adventure.

Paul’s adventure

The Holy Spirit told Paul he would be going to Rome.

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11)

Paul just did not know the adventure would take so many bends and turns that would all be part of God’s plan for him. Even more remarkable is Paul’s response to the delays and obstacles—waiting patiently, maintaining respectful relationships with authorities, and considering God to be helping him all the time

But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. (Acts 26:22)

Paul faced the worst and still saw himself enclosed in God’s protective hand during his adventure.

Our adventure

Most of us would prefer to choose our own “adventure,” complete with detailed itinerary and plans for our comfort. Rather than viewing delays, discomfort, and opposition as God’s leading through opportunity, we see those as a hindrance to being “successful” in life as a believer.

But that is not adventure, at least not what is promised by our God. Jesus says to us, “Follow me!”

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19)

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12:26)

Following Him and serving Him means we choose to do that wherever, whenever, and however He leads. That is the adventure. And He promises His Spirit is with us through it all.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

We are never out of our God’s protective hand. We see that for sure in Paul’s life, especially when all his other props of normal life were removed.

What Is Left When Our Props Are Removed?

Props are those things in life that give us support and take care of our needs. What happens to us when those props are removed?

For Gracia Burnham

Several years ago, I heard the story of Martin and Gracia Burnham. While serving as missionaries in the Philippines, the Burnhams were kidnapped and held hostage for more than a year by a group of religious radicals. They were on the move day and night to keep away from the Philippine military. Gracia had only the clothes on her back; not even any shoes for hiking. When given a pair of holey boots to wear, she did not have a pair of socks to prevent the infiltrating sand from irritating her feet to the point of becoming raw flesh. No pillow, no mattress, no sleeping bag, or cushy pad. Just rice sacks between her and all the creepy crawlies below her weary body. Her props had been removed, even the few comforts associated with being a missionary in the Philippine jungle. And she realized that all she really had were her relationship with her God, her character to deal with the situation, and the presence of her loving husband beside her. Then, Martin was killed during their rescue. Her props had been removed.

For you and me

I feel like my walk with the Lord is a joyful one. He fills my heart with joy and gratitude for what He has done. My email signature even says, “Living joyfully, Melanie.” But…

  • I have a roof over my head in a house we own and can enjoy however we choose to enjoy it.
  • When I am hungry, I open the fridge or pantry and grab something to eat whenever I choose to do so.
  • If I do not feel like cooking, we can drive 5 minutes, plop down some cash or a credit card and order whatever we want to eat that day.
  • I live in the safety of America with law enforcement and 911 emergency help available at my call.

Those are my props of normal life.

What would you and I be like if our props were removed as they were for Gracia Burnham? How would I react? What about you?

I have been on backpacking trips for a week at a time where I carried on my back the only props available to me for those days. But I was safe in an American wilderness, with food supplies and clothing that fit me. If in trouble, someone could have rescued me within hours or a day. Though physically hard, I still had my props. I probably whined a little—okay, I whined a lot about sore muscles and cold nights making sleep difficult! But I remember staying pretty joyful. No one was threatening me with an AK-47 or a machete “guillotine.” At the end of the week, I knew I could have pizza and Dr Pepper at a restaurant and take a shower at a hotel. Gracia did not have that on her yearlong hike. Her props were removed, but she discovered that she was never out of God’s protective hand even in the worst of situations.

Paul had all his props removed. And he was never out of his God’s protective hand either.

God’s Protective Hand

Jesus told His disciples:

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29 NIV)

That was true for Paul. Nothing could take him out of God’s protective hand. The Romans could not do it. The sailors could not do it. The centurion could not do it. The storm could not do it. The sea could not do it. The snake could not do it. The chained confinement in Rome could not do it.

God kept His promise to keep Paul and his fellow travelers safe (cf. v. 24). As the sign on a church marquee put it: “God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.” (Dr. Constable’s Notes on Acts 2023 Edition, p. 497)

And Paul experienced all those not-so-comfortable things while in God’s protective hand. But he also enjoyed the blessings of his trust in the Lord.

  • He got to tell about Jesus to governors, kings, and high-ranking officials (Acts 23-26).
  • Friends stuck to him like glue as he set foot on the ship for Rome (Acts 27:1-2).
  • The ship held together in the raging storm for 2 weeks (Acts 27:14-40)!
  • He got a word from the Lord not just for him but for everyone (Acts 27:23-24).
  • The centurion respected him and spared his life (Acts 27:42-43).
  • All those onboard the sinking ship were saved (Acts 27:44).
  • Paul got to see God perform lots of miracles on the island of Malta (Acts 28:1-10).
  • Many brothers in Christ whom he had never met joined him on his travel by foot to Rome (Acts 28:14-15).

All along the journey to Rome and in Rome, nothing could take Paul out of God’s protective hand!

Five years earlier, Paul wrote these words.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39 NIV)

Nothing—no hardship, nothing you do or that anyone does to you—can ever separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No one and no thing can ever take you out of God’s protective hand. That truth was so firmly planted in Paul that there was no doubt about it as he experienced those very difficult years of imprisonment.

Our Adventure Is with Jesus

Christianity is Christ! It is not a lifestyle or rules of conduct. It is not a society whose members were initiated by the sprinkling or covering of water. We are called first and foremost to a relationship with a Person—Jesus Christ.

I heard Bible teacher Rebecca Carrell say this:

God’s plan for your life is simple: Follow His Son. But you won’t follow someone you don’t trust. You can’t trust someone you don’t know, and you cannot know Christ apart from His Word. (Rebecca Carrell, heartstrongfaith.com)

That is why we study the Bible. We have not physically beheld the risen Christ as the apostles did. We must see Him through eyes of faith and allow the gospels to leap off the page revealing our Lord. And Jesus is not just in the gospels. You have seen repeatedly how intricately Jesus was involved in everyone’s lives throughout the book of Acts.

I think the last few chapters of Acts are key for every believer to carefully study. Luke records from an eyewitness perspective how a Christian (Paul) can follow Christ through the ups and downs of life and see how God is continually there helping him or her.

From the moment Paul heard the words, “I am Jesus,” in Acts 9:5, he had one master. He was convinced and committed. But that did not protect him from the dangers and hardships of life. He still felt fear and hunger. At other times, he was prosperous, and life was going smoothly. The key for him was being obedient to his Lord and recognizing the Holy Spirit’s work in his life that turned things that looked bad for him into blessings for him and for others. Paul continually gave praise to God for the Holy Spirit Hot Spots in his life.

We see Paul’s example and should realize that we can do that just as much as he could. Obedience. Take the next step that God provides, whether it matches what you planned or not. And then give Him the praise and thanksgiving for the results. It is really not that hard in theory. But it is so hard in practice!

Yet, we are not ever alone to do this life by ourselves. Jesus was with Paul continually. He is with us continually. Our job is to live in daily dependence on Him and take the next step that He opens for us.

Have you ever voluntarily walked beside a friend through danger, hardship, or other challenging “adventure,” knowing it would be very hard on you as well? What was that like? What kept you going? How did that affect your friendship? Has someone done that for you?

Verses 24 and 31 provide an interesting illustration of the Biblical viewpoint regarding divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God knew that all on the vessel would be preserved (and if God knows it, it is certain and cannot be otherwise). At the same time, God’s sovereignty which insured their safety was not intended to discourage human effort, for this was the means by which God would achieve the end in view. (Dr. Constable’s Notes on Acts 2023 Edition, p. 495)

The Holy Spirit’s transforming power works through every situation and opportunity we face daily. It is lifelong work. But oh so worth it! Adventure with Jesus is the greatest adventure you could ever take with the most rewarding results. I hope you have learned that through this Radical Acts blog series.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with His Spirit’s transforming power. And say yes to a life of adventure with Him!

All of the above information is covered in the Radical Acts Bible Study of the book of Acts.

AI was not used to generate this post.

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