Acts 27:16, 17 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.
You are on a large wooden vessel of the first century carrying grain from Egypt to Rome and also a group of prisoners including the apostle, Paul. The seas turned bad and then they turned worse. At the mercy of the wind and waves, the captain tries all his tricks to make things manageable. Finally, afraid that the planks of the ship might come apart at the seams, he has the crew pass “ropes under the ship itself to hold it together.” What a desperate measure! Perhaps you have had, or are having, a period of stormy life when you feared you would come apart at the seams. Most people experience this at one point or another in their lives. What are the ropes that can help hold you together? I suggest that God has given us such ropes as prayer, scripture, and community (by that I mean church). You don’t need to wait for a storm to know where your ropes can be found.
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 