“Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me” (Acts 27:23-25).

While Paul was sailing to Rome the ship encountered a fierce storm. Luke wrote that all hope of being saved was lost. It was a desperate time and a very dangerous situation. Paul had a visit from an angel and announced the angel’s message to everyone on board. The message wasn’t entirely new to Paul. God had already told him he was going to Rome. The angel reaffirmed that.

There are times when God is gracious enough to remind us supernaturally of what He has previously said. Those are welcome moments. It is easy to forget, in the middle of a storm, what God said before the storm came along. We can each rest in Paul’s revelation about God. “It will happen just as he told me.” What God has said will come to pass.

The angel added a bit of information that was new to Paul. He promised that God would spare the lives of everyone on the ship. It is encouraging to know that God can handle the storms that come our way. Storms can’t thwart God’s purposes for our lives. When storms come we can do what Paul did—inspire others to be courageous. “So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God.”