“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.’” Acts 27:33.
With
their ship approaching land, Paul spoke to all on board, telling them that they
had better eat something before the ship struck the shoreline. They
all had gone two solid weeks without eating, as they were continuously
struggling to survive the storm. It must have been quite
suspenseful. Paul urged everyone to eat something, knowing that they
would need the nourishment to energize them for what was to happen
next. Even in the middle of an extreme crisis, Paul recognized the
need for each of them to take care of themselves by making sure everyone ate
something. This care was necessary to strengthen them for this final
push for survival.
This
scene of the survival of the shipwreck is instructive to me, in that I realize
that there are times when I need to feed myself those things that energize me
in preparation for the next situations I face. I realize that, in
being a workaholic, I could work until I drop, without concern for my
well-being or for the relationships around me. I could very easily
go way overboard with work, so I need someone to hold me accountable to taking
the time necessary to feed and to strengthen myself. The lesson that
I draw from this verse is that I need to take care of myself so that I can face
whatever is next. When I am caught in the storms in my life and I am
about to shipwreck, will I take the nourishment necessary to strengthen myself?
Questions
to consider: Do you recognize those times when your tank is empty or near
empty? What are the warning signs in your life that show you that
you are about to shipwreck? What are the things that strengthen you and
nourish your soul? Are you doing them?
Prayer:
Father, I know what it feels like to be very near a shipwreck in my life, and I
don’t ever want to be there again. Help me to recognize the signs of
getting too close to it, and help me to know those things that feed me and fill
me up. And help me to actually do them! Amen
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