Acts 27:27-38

27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were drifting across the sea of Adria, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on they took soundings again and found fifteen fathoms. 29 Fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 But when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, on the pretext of putting out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.’ 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and set it adrift.

33 Just before daybreak, Paul urged all of them to take some food, saying, ‘Today is the fourteenth day that you have been in suspense and remaining without food, having eaten nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for it will help you survive; for none of you will lose a hair from your heads.’ 35 After he had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then all of them were encouraged and took food for themselves. 37 (We were in all two hundred and seventy-six persons in the ship.) 38 After they had satisfied their hunger, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

Over the last 4 months I have been drawn to this long story of Paul’s shipwreck on Malta again and again. I will need to sit down and try to put together the pieces of what I have heard and reflected on – but that is for another time. I want to focus in this short devotional on vs. 35 – “giving thanks to God” in the middle of the storm – literally in the middle of the storm.  

Things are tense on the ship, for 14 days and nights they have been battered by the wind and waves, and now it looks like they are about to wreck. Paul has a meeting – telling them they need to eat since some of them had not eaten in 14 days. They have not eaten because of fear and anxiety, not eaten because they thought they were going to die. But Paul tells them they will all survive the wreck – all 276 persons – but that they will need their strength so they need to eat. And he gives thanks to God – in the middle of the storm on a ship that looks like it is about to wreck – and he calmly eats because he knows he will be safe – all on the ship will be safe.

How is he so certain of their safety, how can he give thanks in the middle of the storm? In the act of breaking the bread Paul is following the example of Jesus who in the presence of the disciples as the storm of the trial and crucifixion were just around the corner broke the bread as a sign of the salvation offered to the entire world in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus has made the way for us to be saved, rescued, redeemed – with that certainty we do not need anything else, we will be safe in Jesus. And in Jesus certain hope we can give thanks even in the middle of the storm. 

PRAYER:

O Lord, teach us the trust of giving thanks even in the middle of the storm. Teach us to be people who give thanks to you at all times in all circumstances, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In whose name we pray. Amen.

Mark 8:1-10

8 In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, 2 ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.’ 4 His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ 5 He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ 6 Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. 7 They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. 8 They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The crowd is not in good shape – they are hungry, without enough physical reserves to allow them to walk home. (And as the text says some had walked a great distance.) In the midst of this crisis of not enough – what are seven loaves of bread going to do for all this crowd – Jesus tells the disciples to have the crowd sit down because they are about to eat. And Jesus “giving thanks” to God for what they have – giving thanks for the not enough – for this is before the miracle, breaks the bread and as it is passed out there is enough for all. Miraculously everyone is fed and there is food left over – clear proof that everyone had enough to eat.  

In the midst of what seemed to not be enough, God provides what is needed and more than that. How often in our lives have we experienced that same thing? Times when there did not seem to be enough – not enough money, not enough food, not enough strength to carry on, not enough… (fill in the blank) – and then God stepped in and we were provided with enough. We have been there – we need to remind ourselves of those stories – of those moments when God acted, when the Holy Spirit strengthened us.

Will we when those moments of seeming scarcity arise – times when there does not seem to be enough – will we follow Jesus’ example and give thanks to God for providing enough - -even though we have not yet seen the enough yet? Will we be able to trust that God will provide even when we have not yet seen what God will provide? Can we be thankful before the generosity of God is revealed?

PRAYER:

We rejoice, O Lord, for the ways you have provided us with more than enough, even in times when we were uncertain you have provided. Teach us the trust that we might thank you for your provision, even before we see it, knowing that you are the Lord our provider. In Jesus’ name. Amen.