“Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.”
Acts 28:1-4
Most of us probably can’t say that we’ve ever literally been shipwrecked, then bitten by a deadly snake.
But, has something ever happened in your life that seemingly shipwrecked your life, then while you were down something else attacked you?
Ever heard of the saying, “When it rains it pours”? Same concept.
When It Rains It Pours
When my mom first got sick, it happened to be 2 weeks following my dad being in the ICU…A few months after my mom got sick I broke my back…A few months later we found out we were moving.
When mom first got sick we felt shipwrecked in every area of life. When I broke my back it felt like an attack. Then when we found out we had to move, it felt like another attack.
The Man, The Myth, The Legend
The apostle Paul’s life seems like a series of attacks.
In Acts 28 we find him as a prisoner, shipwrecked, hungry, and now apparently dying from a poisonous snake bite.
#whenitrainsitpours
Paul always takes things to a whole other level when it comes to tribulations. But, this is why he is my favorite guy in the Bible, not counting Jesus of course. Paul goes through it ALL and God always uses it for His glory and for Paul’s good.
In case you forgot, before Paul was Paul, he was Saul. Saul was bad news for Christians. He was literally throwing Christ-followers into prison for the first part of his life and sentencing them to death. It wasn’t until Saul had an encounter with God, went temporarily blind, and had literal scales fall off of his eyes that Saul became Paul, the man, the myth, and the legend.
God redeemed Paul and saved his soul. The saving of Paul’s soul was for Paul’s good, but in true God nature, God didn’t stop there. The saving of Paul’s soul lead to the saving of thousands of other souls. This was for God’s glory.
When we find Paul in Acts 28 he is not only physically shipwrecked and attacked, but I have to imagine that at this point he is thinking, “What good and glory can possibly come from all of this?”
The Questions
Have you been there? More times than I care to admit I have thought to myself or asked God, “What are you doing?” “Where’s the good?” “Where’s the glory?”
“But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.”
Acts 28:5-10
It’s when I’m asking the questions or even just thinking the questions that I forget that I’m only watching the daily breaking news and I don’t even have access to the documentary yet with the whole story.
I couldn’t know that mom’s physical sickness would bring numerous sick souls to complete healing in Jesus’ name.
When the breaking news came from the doctor that I broke my back I couldn’t see the whole story and that it would be the breaking of my back that would break my heart for people who are hurting. Ultimately leading to my calling in life.
When the news hit us that we were moving we weren’t told that us moving would mean the beginning of a journey that would change our hearts and lives forever.
Unreleased Documentary.
When you’re shipwrecked and attacked you receive the daily breaking news. God knows the whole documentary from beginning to end, but it hasn’t been released yet.
Paul’s breaking news was that he was a prisoner, shipwrecked, hungry, and apparently dying from a poisonous snake bite.
We have access to Paul’s documentary….
- Healing came for the island of Malta, because Paul was shipwrecked, aka God’s glory.
- Supplies came for Paul and his traveling companions because he was bitten by a snake and lived, aka for Paul’s good.
- When they set sail again they would reach Rome. It would be in Rome that in chains Paul would be able to preach the gospel message “boldly and without hindrance.”
- Paul’s life would lead to thousands of souls being saved.
- It would be his life story that would encourage millions of hearts like mine for thousands of years.
Maybe you are shipwrecked. Maybe you are being attacked.
Don’t put your hope in the daily breaking news. Your documentary is still to be released and the director has promised that He will work the ending for your good and for His glory.
Together let’s shake the snake off and keep pressing on till we see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
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