Acts 27: The Miracle Before the Miracle—I Believe God

In Acts 27, I want to take you to an event that I absolutely want to hear all the details about when I get to heaven. I've read this story many times, and every time I do, I find myself wishing I could have stood on that ship and watched it unfold. Its a "more than" Story! This is more than a story about a storm. It's more than a story about a shipwreck. It's a miracle before the miracle. The winds screamed. The waves towered like mountains.   Experienced sailors gave up hope. For days the passengers could not see the sun, moon, or stars. The ship groaned under the relentless pounding of hurricane-force winds. Every wave threatened to tear it apart. Death seemed certain. Yet in the middle of the darkness, one man stood with unshakable confidence. Not because the storm had ended. Not because the ship was safe. Not because he could see a way out. Paul had peace because God had spoken.   While everyone else was looking at the size of the storm,            Paul was looking at the size of his God.   Dear friend, that is the miracle before the miracle.   Before… ·         the rescue came the promise. ·         deliverance came faith. ·         the shipwreck came 3 powerful words: I BELIEVE GOD.   Let's climb aboard this battered ship  and watch what happens when a man who belongs to God chooses to trust Him in the middle of life's fiercest storm.   It was time for Paul to go to Italy. Julius, a centurion, was assigned to accompany him to Rome. Julius was kind to Paul. Paul was given permission to visit his friends while they were docked in Sidon.   In spite of all Julius' kindness, the journey was far from pleasant.   The winds refused to cooperate. The storm season was approaching. No one wanted to risk their ships trying to sail then. They needed to get to Fair Havens quickly and then on to Rome. They lost valuable sailing time, but finally they reached The Fair Havens much later than they had planned. "Sirs," Paul warned, "We must spend the winter here. I know in my Spirit that if we sail, this trip will be disastrous! There is danger in losing the ship and the goods, but more important our very lives."   "Oh, come now. Look at that sea. It doesn't look stormy to me. We've sailed through the worst of the storms and we're alive to tell it. Would I risk my ship, if I thought it was too late to sail?" The helmsman and the ship's owner agreed they should set sail immediately.   Instead of listening to Paul's godly warning, the centurion agreed with the ship's owner and the helmsman. The ship set sail on a glorious, balmy morning. A gentle breeze caught the sails, sending them on their way. The ship master relaxed on the gentle seas.   It wasn't long until  the sky began to grow dark. Quickly, the winds began to blow. A strong southeastern wind began to kick up the seas. <p class="