“Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed.”
Acts 28:9 (NLT)
Paul knew God was taking him to Rome, but the journey included a shipwreck and an unexpected stop on Malta. God had assured Paul that he would reach his destination, but Acts 27 never records God telling him about the ministry waiting in the detour. Paul did not whine about being somewhere he never planned to be though. He made the most of the opportunity in front of him.
When Paul learned that Publius’s father was sick with fever and dysentery, he prayed for him and laid hands on him. The man was healed because Paul believed. His healing encouraged all the other sick people on the island to come for prayer too. But something deeper is happening here. In Mark 6:5–6, Jesus could only heal a few sick people in Nazareth because of their unbelief. On Malta, all the sick came and were cured. Though Acts does not say it directly, I believe faith in the message of Jesus was present in Malta. Unbelief was not blocking what God wanted to do.
On this island, Paul models being on mission for Jesus even when we aren’t where we think we should be. What do we do when life looks like a shipwreck, a wrong turn, or heartache? Do we whine and moan, or do we act like we have the good news? We may be in a place we never planned to be, but God has clearly given us a purpose there. Every minute of every day, there is an opportunity to live on mission for Jesus.
Today, I want to be like Paul. I want to be available for ministry when I encounter a detour or roadblock. I want to pray for others, encourage them, serve them, and share what the Lord has done in my life. I serve a God who turns harm into good, not just for me, but for the good of others around me. Live on mission. Be obedient. Help somebody until all those around you have met Jesus.