Paul, facing a storm which threatened the lives of all on the ship on which he was travelling to Rome, was able to pass on encouragement and hope to the others because he received a personal word from an angel from ‘the God to whom I belong and whom I serve.’ (Acts 27:23) Even in what must have been truly scary circumstances (things had got to the point where all their preventative measures had failed and even the cargo and equipment were being thrown overboard), he was able to pass on hope and to remain confident because of God’s help and specific word to him.
It is interesting to see that he defines God in a way that would have made sense to people whose ideas of gods were very different to his own. The first thing he mentions is belonging to God. Belonging is one of the essential needs of every human; we all need to know that we belong somewhere, to find ‘our place in this world.’ (‘Place In This World’, Michael W. Smith) Most of us find a sense of belonging initially in our blood family, but God offers us the chance to become His children and belong to His family (John 1:12). This gives us great security, even in difficult times. Paul also links service to God. Once we are secure in belonging, we are not afraid to serve. Jesus, secure in His identity (‘Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God’ John 13:3), washed the disciples’ feet. The two things – belonging and service – may seem contradictory, but it is actually only out of a sense of belonging that true service emanates. Where there is fear or anxiety, our service arises from a desire to avoid punishment or a need to please. Only as we are sure whose we are can we serve with gladness.
