27:1-2 Deciding to begin the journey, they boarded a ship and put a man named Julius in charge of Paul and the other prisoners.
27:3 Paul's companions (like Luke who wrote this book) were made allowed to care for Paul during the journey. Julius trusted Paul; at this point, several are aware of Paul's innocence but more than that, God is ensuring that Paul is cared for.
27:4-8 It was a rough sea-journey. Metaphorically speaking, the sea is rough living away from or in opposition to God. The difference between human's planned journey and God's is entirely different: where our lone attempts are often chaotic and turbulent, God's is elaborate in anticipating and correcting issue before it is even met.
27:9-10 They were travelling in the winter and the journey became increasingly difficult; Paul perceived that imminent danger awaited them. God has worked with Paul to make him wise and observant.
27:11-12 Paul's advisory is ignored and the captain, owner and operators of the ship decide to continue on into the stormy sea. The instruction in this verse is that we need to heed our surroundings, and we must be patient enough to hear them speaking to us.
27:13-19 The conditions grow worse and worse. The health of the ship is declining, they're jettisoning supplies and none of their efforts are producing any productive results. It's so important that we do not miss the wisdom presented to us in the verse through metaphor. When our minds, souls, and bodies are not healthy, are declining because of our fruitless, selfish, unproductive efforts, we accomplish and produce nothing. When we are impatient, ignorant, unobservant, there are disastrous results.
The ship, and all of the people aboard are floating aimlessly on the whim of the ocean. You do not want to float aimlessly on the whim of anything. This world is large, there are many nations, ideologies, cultures, beliefs... there are so many waves which can sweep you up and determine your path for you. You do not want this world to be a turbulent ocean, tossing you around without intention, ill-intention or care. God can provide a sturdy foundation and a charted, protected course. He will enable you to be present and also a participant in your own journey. Let Him be your ship.
27:20 The people aboard the ship lost all hope. Keeping with the metaphor, how horrible a way to live that would be: to have no hope, to let chaos deplete you. They gave their whim to chaos when they ignored and then neglected the wise counsel of God, through Paul. Wise counsel is around you if you are being perceptive, observant, patient and if you grasp onto it, hope forever uplifts your outlook on life.
27:21 Paul had been praying for their well-being. Paul had asked God for assistance, even though His help had been rejected at onset by them. And as He always does when He hears His children fervently ask for and trust in His help, He gives it.
27:22 Paul gives them hope and encouragement, there was a way to survive the strife. There is a way to survive this strife, and The Way is through God. We must let the useless things we allowed to become our vessel which carries us through the world break up. We must reestablish our home, our vessel as our indestructible God. What do I mean? Well, when we rely on things and people other than God, we rely on destructible things. Let those things go, they do not work compassionately for your well-being.
27:23 Paul's prayers for their well-being were heard and answered.
27:24 God always supplies protection and encouragement, but you must be aware of his offering and you must recognize His hand. A lot of people will offer you their assistance, their hand, you'll want to ensure you grasp the right one: God's. You must recognize Him to do so.
When God has a child who has elected to work with Him purposefully, when they have passionately dedicated their lives to being compassionately-purposeful in His name, God is going to ensure that that child is able to fulfill their purpose, their potential. God does not waste such a selfless gift as that: a child who gives their effort, their compassion to others. He's going to utilize that brilliant soul because He recognizes how abundantly and efficiently that person can deliver His blessings to humanity. He is overjoyed to work with that soul. There is so much work to be done and finding a faithful, compassionate child is a blessing given to Him, that He may accomplish with them so much.
God is going to answer their prayers because He knows that their prayers are made with the wholehearted intention of arranging and delivering blessings to others.
Paul's prayers have saved this crew. God waits for us to believe in Him, to trust in His help and then, and only then, He is able to deliver what we have asked for. He delivers in many ways, given us the perception and strength to save ourselves, the knowledge and the opportunity to ensure our survival and success.
27:25 Believe that it, life, will be just as it was told by God. Believe that He is, and that He is with you, always. He's going to orchestrate your purest, most magnificent happiness if you trust and believe and work with Him to accomplish it.
27:26-29 Their safety, (which could have been secured before the journey had they listened) was then contingent upon running aground into an island. God will secure their saftey, they need not worry. You need not worry, your saftey is arranged and secured too.
27:30 Some of the crew were anxious and planning to jump from the ship meaning, they had no faith. It is so frequent that I hear and observe people question and even lose their faith at signs of turbulence. You cannot be protected and guided if you jump off of the path. If you do not actually trust God, He's going to respect that and He's going to let you navigate on your own. Trust me, you do not want to navigate turbulence on your own! God is not responsible for turbulence in the world, humans create that. Do not blame Him or lose faith in Him when a person is responsible for the pain or anger that you are experiencing. He will guide you out of it and you'll come out wiser and stronger.
27:31 You must stay on the ship, God's ship. When you stray from truth, from wisdom, from love and compassion, you will not find safety.
27:32 This time, they listen to Paul, who has listened to God.
27:33-34 Paul encourages them to build their strength. Metaphorically, to begin to receive their nourishment from God. Their spiritual nourishment: courage and solemnity, wisdom and truth. God builds us up to be strong and healthy in spirit and when we are strong and healthy in spirit, we are agile, ready, prepared and equipped to handle anything, all things (adversity in any form, even perhaps ironically, physical ailment).
27:35-36 Paul consistently, lovingly, derives his wisdom and strength from God. Our true nourishment, our true bread. Paul is always thankful to and focused on God. As His children, receiving so many blessings from Him, we cannot help but be grateful to Him for how abundantly, selflessly He gives.
27:37-38 Another reminder that God can fill and feed and protect and ensure the safety and health of all of His children. He and everything He has to offer is boundless. Even in completely filling all people, there is more, there is leftover. Consider what that means: He can give to you, individually, more than it seems can even fit into your life, heart, soul and body.
27:39-41 As predicted, the ship is ruined. Man's ship is ruined. God's children are safe.
27:42-44 Paul's safety is again orchestrated by God and instead of being killed before even leaving the ship, his life is secured. As promised, none on the ship lost their lives.
