Acts 27:21-26: When God Says the Future Holds Bad Tidings

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 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.’ 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 27:21-26

God has a path charted out for each one of us and this includes some of the bad things that will happen. But God's purposes are not thwarted by these bad things. As his servants, he uses our lives to advance his kingdom and bring other people to recognize him.  The message he received from an angel upon a floundering ship in the Mediterranean is the same message that had been given before:

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” - Acts 23:11

This continued the ongoing messages Paul had been receiving earlier. 

Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’” 

So when Paul was on the boat and there was a shipwreck he was sure that it was not the end because he had been listening carefully. 

Part of discerning the will of God for our lives is listening carefully to the Holy Spirit and being careful to separate what is wishful thinking from the voice of God. The voice of God is not what you would do if you were in his place. Paul didn't always have the whole picture but he did cling with certainty to what he did know and the God who was directing.

He knew that he would be able to present the gospel to kings and governors and even Caesar himself.