2 Corinthians 11:25; Thrice I Suffered Shipwreck

2 Corinthians 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

How real can the urgency and importance of a work be in a person’s life that causes him to risk his life to accomplish his mission? For the Apostle Paul to suffer shipwreck’s three times for the Gospel’s sake showed us the committment of this man to the work committed to him. Was he behaving in a rash manner putting himself in untold danger? Our Lord was with him in all his journeying for His Name’s sake. Our Lord’s promise to His disciples is that He will be with us alway!

When the Apostle Paul was sailing on his mission to Italy, and the ship encountered a storm, our Lord sent this assurance of His presence, protection and power to preserve His own – Acts 27:22-25 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

As we contemplate upon his suffering, God was accomplishing His good will in fulfilling His plan for the salvation of souls through the witness of His servant. He was not rash in his undertaking. In fact, he was warned of danger ahead by the Lord – Acts 27:9-14 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and thereto winter; which isan haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained theirpurpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

There was a cyclone that the ship encountered as the Apostle Paul had warned. Though his warning was not needed by the centurion and the captain of the ship, nevertheless, God was there to protect the Apostle Paul despite human folly and stubbornness. What a great God we serve! Though we are not “in control” of our environment, our God is. We can trust Him to aid us as we walk with Him. Hallalejah! What a Saviour. His Name be praised. Amen.