“But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.” – Acts 27:11
One of the commonest pieces of advice we hear is, “Listen to the experts.” Yet this can sometimes be far from the truth. The bare truth is that the experts aren’t always right, and there is ample evidence to prove that.
In the days of Jesus, Peter—the expert fisherman at sea—“toiled all night and caught nothing” until Jesus stepped in and gave another counsel, which led to one of the greatest bumper harvests in the New Testament.
“Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.” (Luke 5:5–6)
In Acts 27 we find the apostle Paul’s advice at sea being ignored in favour of that of the experts—namely, the pilot and the owner of the ship. Of course, in the natural, this looked like the wisest decision to take, because they had a better understanding of sailing and life at sea. Yet it backfired.
“‘Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.’ But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.” (Acts 27:10–11)
As Christians, we must endeavour to follow the leading of the Spirit, as Paul did, which is a more reliable compass for life. The apostle Paul’s courage and confidence to direct the situation was simply admirable. His conviction in the God he served and belonged to made a big difference on the sea.
He said: “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 to whom I belong 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.’” (Acts 27:22–24)
With these and many more words of encouragement and direction, Paul was able to save his life and the lives of all the men who were with him (including the panicking soldiers and experts).
Beloved, my prayer for you today is that you will receive the wisdom and courage to brace through the storms of life. Receive the grace to overcome every challenge, and may you never be found wanting in any situation.
Take charge and rule by the Spirit of God, because the experts aren’t always right. God bless you.
– Rev. Simon Ampofo
