Every word in the Bible is from God. That means that you can learn from everything even if it seems insignificant to you. For example, the description of Paul’s shipwreck when being transported to Rome has a lot of detail in it about the ship, the storm, and what the crew did. Don’t ignore those kinds of things because there are treasures of knowledge and wisdom in there.
The account of the events leading up to the shipwreck gives lots of good life advice. Read through the passage and then we’ll discuss it.
9 By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Fast was already over, Paul gave his advice 10 and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward damage and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete open to the southwest and northwest, and to winter there. 13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 But not long afterward, a fierce wind called the “northeaster” rushed down from the island. 15 Since the ship was caught and was unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 After running under the shelter of a little island called Cauda, we were barely able to get control of the skiff. 17 After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Then, fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along. 18 Because we were being severely battered by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo the next day. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s gear overboard with their own hands. 20 For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope that we would be saved was disappearing. 21 Since many were going without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss. 22 Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. 23 For this night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me, 24 and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And, look! God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 Therefore, take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.” 27 When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea, and in the middle of the night the sailors thought they were approaching land. 28 They took a sounding and found it to be 120 feet deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be 90 feet deep. 29 Then, fearing we might run aground in some rocky place, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come. 30 Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow. 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away. 33 When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For this has to do with your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head.” 35 After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and when he broke it, he began to eat. 36 They all became encouraged and took food themselves. 37 In all there were 276 of us on the ship. 38 When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.
39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could. 40 After casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. 41 But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves. (Ac 27:9-41)
Lesson 1 – don’t ignore the advice of the godly and wisdom. Paul warned them not to continue their journey to Rome after they encountered a lot of trouble during the first leg of their journey (Ac 27:9-10). As soon as the weather seemed good, they decided to depart (Ac 27:11-12) and that decision led to shipwreck and a financial loss. Don’t ignore the advice of the godly or wisdom (Pv 1:24-16)
Lesson 2 – learn when to give up control (Ac 27:15). When the storm came on the ship, the fierceness of the storm led the crew to stop fighting against it and let it carry them along (Ac 27:15). This was a wise choice since fighting against a violent storm would often wind up in the ship being destroyed. Even today, ships do all they can to avoid major storms using weather forecasts and satellite images to know what to avoid because storms lead to shipwreck. If you are in the midst of a severe life storm, your smartest strategy might be to stop fighting it so you don’t make things worse. Some examples from life might be dealing with grief or injury. If you’ve lost a loved one you need to give into heartbreak and pain rather than fight or deny it. If you’ve suffered an injury you need to give into the reality. Don’t fight through the pain of an injury because you will only make things worse.
Lesson 3 – do what you must to keep safe (Ac 27:16-17). The crew hoisted the lifeboat that was being pulled behind the ship onboard. This was a smart move since they may have needed it to save themselves later. They also wrapped ropes under the hull of the ship to help keep it together under the fierce pounding it was taking. When you’re in a storm, the most important thing you have in life is your faith. Reinforce your faith so you are not overwhelmed by the storm. Keep in mind that God is on the throne and will work things out. You are in His hands. Read your Bible. Go to church. Meet with other believers and share your struggles. Serve. Guard your lifeboat and strengthen your hull … your faith.
Lesson 4 – put down your drift anchor (Ac 27:17). The crew threw the drift-anchor into the water. The drift-anchor is like a parachute in the water. It does not attach to the bottom of the sea but works like a parachute in the air. It creates drag in the water to slow the ship down and make sure the ship was moving with the storm instead of fighting against it. When you are in a storm, throw out your drift anchor to slow life down as much as possible. Don’t let the storm carry you away. For example, it is easy during a storm to allow your mind to get carried away imagining what might happen. Don’t let that happen. Slow down things in your life, especially your mind, to navigate the storm at your pace in faith.
Lesson 5 – lighten your load (Ac 27:18-19). The crew threw the cargo overboard and all their tackle to make the ship lighter so it could face the storm more easily. When you are in a life storm, it is important to lighten your life load too. Clear your calendar, avoid people who are a drain or struggle for you, stop worrying about little problems, etc.
Lesson 6 – don’t give up hope but trust God (Ac 27:20-25). When things looked bleak, the people on the ship were losing all hope of getting through the storm. Some of our life storms can last a long time with no end in sight but don’t give up hope. Instead turn to God and trust Him like Paul who said, “take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me” (vs 25). You already have a promise from God that things will all work out to the good (Rom 8:28), even if you shipwreck. Trust that God will take care of you. You are His child and He will see you through. Keep in mind that He promised you a home in Heaven, no matter how bad the storm seems now, 100 years from now you won’t even remember it because you’ll be walking on streets of gold.
Learn from these types of passages in the Bible. They have many jewels in them for your life.
Think about it
Why do we often prioritize the advice of “experts” or personal convenience over godly counsel when making major life choices?
Is there a painful reality in your life right now (such as grief, an injury, or an unchangeable situation) that you are exhausting yourself trying to fight instead of accepting?
If your faith is the hull of your ship, where do you feel the structural seams starting to strain or crack under the pounding of your current circumstances?
What does “wrapping your hull” look like in your actual weekly routine? Which spiritual discipline (Bible study, church attendance, serving, or small groups) do you need to reinforce right now?
What “drift anchor” should you have dropped in the past when you went through a life storm? What should you do in the future?
What extra weight are you stubbornly carrying right now—such as unnecessary commitments, toxic relationships, or overachieving expectations—that is threatening to sink you?
Why is it so difficult to throw that “cargo” overboard?
How do you maintain hope when your storm shows no signs of improvement?
