Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board.
Acts 27:33-37 (NIV)
Lord Jesus, even as Paul encouraged those who were in the midst of that terrible storm on his way to Rome, use me today to encourage someone who is going through some storm of their own.
It is not lost on me that Paul himself was in the midst of life storms. There was a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem where folks had taken a vow to kill him (Acts 23:12-14). He was on trial for his faith, on his way to appear before Caesar. And he too was being tossed by the angry see. And what’s worse, he had foresight to know that they were going to be shipwrecked (Acts 27:21-22). Yet, in the midst of his own life challenges, he loved enough to encourage these folks charged with making sure he stood trial. How could he do it? Because You encouraged him (Acts 27:23-24)! And he took Your encouragement and used it for others. I want to be that person.
Lord, even as You send words of encouragement to me, use me to do the same for others. Help me not to be so consumed with what I am going through that I do not see and understand what others are dealing with. Use me as a mouthpiece to remind them that You see them and that You love them. Give me what to say and how to say it so that I can point them to You, the only source of hope, and remind them that they are not alone. Let them see my life and my love for You and them, and cause my trust and dependence upon You to rub off on them that they might place their trust in You. Give me the words to say and the actions to do.
And in the midst of it all, continue to encourage and strengthen me that I might be able to be that person. It is not about me. It’s about loving You first, others second, and me third. Sow Your seeds into my life that they might bring forth that kind of fruit to Your glory. Amen.