This passage illustrates God sovereignty, His Timing, and His Work. God would bring Paul to Rome in His Time; but, meanwhile, He provided friends to accompany Paul (Luke and Aristarchus), used the kindness of Julius the Roman Centurion, and appeared to Paul in a vision to encourage. Then, when those on the ship "gave up all hope of being saved", Paul used the opportunity to encourage and to share his faith in God.
Paul served as an example for survival, when he took bread, gave thanks to God, broke it and ate it. And, just as God had said, their ship ran aground and was wrecked; but, "everyone reached land safely." Attitude and perspective makes a difference when we are facing difficulties; for, Paul went through the exact same circumstances as the rest of the ship; but, he was the one who kept his eyes on God and His promises.
On Malta, the islanders were amazed when they saw that Paul suffered no ill effects from an encounter with a viper. Then when he healed the Roman official's father, others who were diseased would come for healing. When departing, they were treated with honor and provided with supplies. Today, Malta is listed with a population of close to 350,000 with about 99% Christians (mostly Catholic) who celebrate every year Paul's shipwreck on the island.
This passage is a reminder that even when we are on God's Path, we may still encounter difficulties, storms, and even shipwreck. We just need to trust in His promises and His deliverance; and look for opportunities to be used by Him no matter our circumstances.
This passage also gives some characteristics of a leader as exemplified by the apostle Paul, who from the position of lowly prisoner rose to be the leader who through God's help brought all the ships passengers to safety on land:
- Trustworthy
- Assesses Situation, Takes Initiative, and Makes Wise Decisions
- Speaks with Authority
- Encourages and Cares for those being led
- Leads by Example
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