Main Idea: God’s protection and preservation of Paul leads Him though storms and shipwreck to safety.
- God ____________________ and _____________________ Paul.
- God protects and preserves ________________ His saints.
- God is focused on growing our __________________ by trusting His Word.
Heidelberg Catechism Q.27: What do you understand by the providence of God? A. “God's providence is His almighty and ever present power, whereby, as with His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come not by chance but by His fatherly hand.”
Today’s Key Insight! If you were to share a key insight from today’s sermon with a friend, what would you say?
Today’s Lunch Discussion: How might this passage encourage someone facing a great trial? How does this narrative highlight the truth that God keeps His word? How does this narrative display both the sovereign providence of God and the responsibility of humans? Think of situations and circumstances in your life in which you clearly saw (or can now see, looking back) the Lord’s providence. How can the reality of God’s providence change the way you handle present or future trials in your life? What (if anything) holds you back from having the same confidence in the Lord that Paul expresses in verses 22-25? Are you praying for that kind of calm trust? What will it mean for your life today to live truly believing that God’s promises are true? At the end of the narrative, Paul thanked God. Think about some of the ways God has provided for you in recent months and give him thanks. Take a few moments to pray for God to grant you—and others—peace in the midst of great trials.