Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

–Acts 27:14-26 (TNIV)

I always chuckle at Paul in this story. He can’t resist telling the sailors, “I told you so.” Regardless of Paul’s motive, Luke points us to a deeper truth here. Paul has absolute and total trust in God. When he confronted him on the road to Damascus, Jesus told Paul that he must suffer for his name and Paul took him seriously. Because Paul had an intimate relationship with Christ, he trusted him completely and knew that everyone on the ship would be safe, even though the ship itself would be lost.

This is how it is when we trust in God, isn’t it? If we put our hope and trust in God, it does not guarantee that we will not be subjected to the storms of life. That’s not what putting your faith in God is all about. Rather, it is about living your life in a way that will bring glory to God, even (or especially) in the midst of life’s storms. When we know the One who loves us and gave himself for us, we can have peace even in the midst of life’s darkest moments.

Do you know God well enough to trust him in this?