Take Heart “And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship” (Acts 27:22).
That was said by Paul on his way to Rome. The storms became so great, his ship was in danger of being destroyed. The Lord had revealed to Paul that this would happen, and the Lord told Paul, as long as nobody left the ship, all would be saved. “Therefore, take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:25).
Notice the basis for Paul telling them to “take heart.” It was because he believed God. Paul’s encouragement is not a wish. It’s not an empty platitude. He believed in God and he believed what He said. So, he tells all of them to be strong, take heart, and cheer up.
“Take heart” is an idiom referring to confidence or courage. In the same vein, “to take something to heart” is to treat something as significant or important. It is to be moved or influenced. So, “take heart” can also refer to taking something very seriously. All the men stayed with the ship and not one lost their life. The men were greatly influenced by what Paul told them. They paid attention to what he said.
When we find ourselves challenged, "take heart" in the Lord. We will grow stronger rather than be overcome by the difficulty. The more we meditate on the glory of God, the more our faith grows. The more our faith grows, we increase in hope and courage. The more we increase in hope and courage, the more we harvest new fruit in the situations and relationships that we face.
God has incredible power (Eph. 3:20). We cannot adequately describe His power. There's nothing to which it can be compared too. There are no analogies to be found anywhere in the created world. The thunderstorm, the tempestuous sea, the hurricane, and the tornado; with all of their great power they contain an infinitesimal fraction of the power of God. This is the One who created the world and everything that's in it. This is the One who holds the world together simply by exercising His will and the word of His Son (Heb. 1:3). When we put our confidence in Him, we can "take heart" because He really does have the power to deliver everything He has promised you.
If we are God's child, we have reason to "take heart," no matter what we face. Believe God! Believe what He has said.
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