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“And as the shipmen [sailors] were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 27:30-31).
In Acts 27, we have a very interesting account of how the Apostle Paul went by ship from Caesarea to Rome. The details show us how sailing ships operated in the Roman Empire. But in our verses today, we see something important for all of us.
Paul had already been told by an angel of God that no one in the ship would lose his life, but that the ship would be lost. However, that did not prevent Paul from using common sense. The sailors were trying to abandon the ship, and leave everyone to fend for themselves. Paul knew that they needed those sailors with their sailing expertise, and that if they left, the rest of the company could not handle the ship. For this reason, Paul alerted the centurion and the soldiers, who cut the boat loose and prevented the sailors’ escape.
In our own lives we can trust the Lord for His protection, but He also intends us to use our common sense. We are not to tempt the Lord by being foolish, and doing something that we know is dangerous.
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