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shore leave

Acts 27:1-12 (JDV)

Acts 27:1 When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment.
Acts 27:2 When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.
Acts 27:3 The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care.
Acts 27:4 When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us.
Acts 27:5 After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.
Acts 27:6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.
Acts 27:7 Sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side of Crete off Salmone.
Acts 27:8 With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.
Acts 27:9 By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Day of Atonement was already over, Paul gave his advice
Acts 27:10 and told them, “Men, I can observe that this voyage is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our throats.”
Acts 27:11 But the centurion was persuaded by the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.
Acts 27:12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete facing the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.

shore leave

Paul was allowed “shore leave” of sorts when he arrived at Sidon. Why did he not take that opportunity to flee from his captors to save his life? By now, you should realize that Paul was still a missionary. His motivation was his mission. God had sent him on a mission to declare the gospel among governors, kings, and the emperor himself. Even when he knew that the ship he was taking would wreck, he had to stay true to his mission.

Lord, may our hearts beat to a different drum. May they be tuned in to your mission: to spread your gospel and build your kingdom.

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