Daily devotional · November 23
Giving Thanks in the Storm
“Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food. So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.” After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and took some food themselves. In all, there were 276 of us on board. After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.”
Paul is aboard a ship that has been battered by a storm for two weeks. The crew has stopped eating and everyone has lost hope. Paul urges them to take some food, reminds them they will survive, then takes bread, gives thanks to God in front of everyone, and begins to eat. His thanksgiving is not a reaction to rescue, since rescue has not yet come. It is an act of trust made in the middle of danger. Those around him are encouraged and eat too. Gratitude can be contagious, especially when it is visible and calm. Today, if you are in the middle of your own storm, look for one thing you can receive with thanks: a meal, a friend's help, a night of rest. Say thanks aloud in front of someone, and let your steadiness give others a little courage.
Prayer
Lord, even in the storm I thank You. Steady my heart so that my calm may encourage others. Amen.