He Took Bread And Gave Thanks

 Aaron Beard

            The weather started getting rough; the tiny ship was tossed.  If not for the courage of the fearless Paul, their lives would be lost.  This event adds one more chapter to the apostle Paul’s book of persecutions.  He was arrested in Jerusalem and charged with false accusations.  Threats were made on his life and the only way he could survive was to appeal to Caesar.  Paul, along with many others, were boarded onto a ship and sent to Rome.  He left one type of “tempest” in Jerusalem to encounter another tempest at sea (Acts 21-26). 

            As the wind increased, the boat they were traveling in began to be tossed about mightily.  They tried to navigate the boat out of trouble, but it was to no avail.  They tried throwing extra equipment overboard to lighten the ship, but that too did not help matters.  Finally, “all hope that we would be saved was finally lost” (Acts 27:20).  Suddenly, out of the blackness of the doom and distress, Paul cried out, “Therefore take heart men, for I believe God that it will be just as he told me” (Acts 27:25).  Paul told them how an angel stood by his side that night and told him that everyone on board would be saved.

            What may be more amazing is what he does next.  Acts 27:33 says, “And as day was about to dawn, Paul implored them all to take food…” There is no doubt that the other men on this ship were bewildered by his actions.  Paul seems to have perfect inner peace although a horrible storm is raging all around him.  The men on the boat were in a state of hysteria.  Some were even trying to escape the ship early by jumping on a small canoe type boat (verse 30).  While all of this was going on, Paul was getting ready to sit down for a meal.  Why?  Because he believed God that it would be just as he told him.

            He knew that they were about to face a hard swim into shore and he wanted to have the physical nourishment it would take. Paul also encouraged everyone around him to eat as well, seeing as how they all would survive.  Before he could eat one bite, there was something he felt like he had to do.  “He took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat” (Acts 27:35).  Even though he was surrounded by chaos and the sky was not “sunny” he took time to bless his food and give thanks to God for it.  Paul recognized that it is God who gave him that bread and everything he had.  Furthermore, Paul recognized that it would only be by God’s hand that he would survive.

            The verse also tells us that he did this in the presence of them all.  Why did he not go into his closet and pray?  He prayed publicly in this case because everyone around him needed to be lifted up by the example he set.  They needed to see this “peace which passes all understanding.”  Upon seeing how Paul handled himself, the others “were all encouraged, and also took food themselves” (Acts 27:36).  That day Paul not only provided those men physical nourishment, but also emotional and spiritual nourishment.  These men became partakers in the peace which Paul portrayed.  After this, they pulled themselves together and began to prepare for what was at hand (Acts 27:38).

            Jesus did command his disciples to “go into your room and… shut your door” when you pray (Matthew 6:6).  Jesus is not condemning all prayer done in a public setting, but rather praying to draw attention to one’s self as the Pharisee did in Luke 18:10-14.  This was not the motive behind Paul’s prayer aboard that boat.  He was about to eat, but he never would eat without blessing it and thanking God first.  What a wonderful example Paul set before those men on the boat in Acts 27!   

            When we stop in the middle of our hectic days to eat and give ourselves the nourishment to press on, do we take adequate time to stop, bless our food, and thank God for it?  Are we ever reserved about praying in the presence of other people, especially those who are not Christians?  Often times when we sit down for meals with co-workers or at restaurants we may not take time to pray to God.  We do not want to be seen in the same light as the Pharisee of Luke 18.  It may also be that we are embarrassed to pray in front of other people.  We need to keep in mind that there may be someone in that restaurant or at our table who is living “in the eye of the storm” and needs the encouragement and peace we can bring.  Take time to pray.