Acts 27:16-25

As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were barely able to get the ship’s lifeboat under control, so the crew hoisted the dinghy aboard. The sailors used ropes and cables to undergird the ship, fearing they would run aground on the shoals of Syrtis. They lowered the drag anchor to slow its speed and let the ship be driven along. The next day, because of being battered severely by the storm, the sailors jettisoned the cargo, and by the third day they even threw the ship’s tackle and rigging overboard. After many days of seeing neither the sun nor the stars, and with the violent storm continuing to rage against us, all hope of ever getting through it alive was abandoned. After being without food for a long time, Paul stepped before them all and said, “Men, you should have obeyed me and avoided all of this pain and suffering by not leaving Crete. Now listen to me. Don’t be depressed, for no one will perish—only the ship will be lost. For God’s angel visited me last night, the angel of my God, the God I passionately serve. He came and stood in front of me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You are destined to stand trial before Caesar. And because of God’s favor on you, he has given you the lives of everyone who is sailing with you.’ So men, keep up your courage! I know that God will protect you, just as he told me he would.