³³Until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing. ³⁴Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” ³⁵Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food. ³⁷All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons. ³⁸When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea.

Presumably the crew let down the anchors after their escape was thwarted; the ship made it through the night without hitting the rocks. Paul calmed them all down with words of encouragement and his demeanor. They had eaten nothing for two weeks. That sounds incredible, but with so much stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, it is believable. To men facing what seemed certain death, what was the point of eating? The strange custom we have in North America of giving a prisoner condemned to death a final meal of his choosing may seem to be a kind consideration, but in the case of sailors, in the midst of a storm, there was no time for dining. Salvation from death was the overriding focus.

But here was Paul proclaiming to them that they were not going to die. And his confidence was so great he took bread, broke it, and began to eat. He went first in his demonstration of confidence—and this in front of them all. The rest of the passengers and crew followed suit and began to eat, all 276 of them.

We cannot miss what the Holy Spirit obviously wants us to see; the literary connection to the Lord’s Supper is unmistakable. In the midst of the most difficult of circumstances, Paul acknowledged God in providing the food for them to eat. Hardened, salt-encrusted sailors and battle-hardened soldiers might have just grabbed and devoured the available food, rushing ahead of others to get their share. But Paul, who was clearly in control of the moment, acknowledges God’s provision. This foreshadows God’s providing them salvation from the impending shipwreck. Hope was not lost! They were eating in anticipation of needing nourishment and strength for what lay ahead. They also made further preparation to lighten the ship’s weight to raise the draft and avoid at least some of the submerged hazards—all actions that demonstrated that hope was not completely lost.

We can’t help but think of Jesus asleep in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. Paul may not have been asleep, but he was free from the anxiety and fear of those around him. And his demeanor gave hope to the others.

Lord, help me to acknowledge and worship You in the midst all my trials.