Jump Start # 428

Acts 27:44 “And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.” (KJV)

  Our verse today is taken from Paul’s journey to Rome. He was a prisoner, arrested for preaching Jesus Christ. Being a Roman kept him from being scourged in Jerusalem and it allowed him the right to appeal to Caesar himself. After a period of time, Paul is put on a ship with other prisoners and off to Rome he goes. On the way there, the ship encounters a severe storm and is capsized. Some of the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so they wouldn’t escape, but that was prevented. Those that could swim jumped overboard, the rest, according to our verse hung on to some floating debris and made it safely to land. What a terrifying experience this must have been.

  The trip to Rome allowed Paul to do some preaching there, even if only to guards.

  I want to look at an expression used here in the King James Version. It doesn’t have much to do with the story, but it allows us to remind ourselves of a valuable lesson. The expression is, “It came to pass.” Other versions, such as the NASV, express this as, “and so it happened.”

  It came to pass—that is used more than 400x in the King James Version. Those translators loved that phrase. I have learned to love it because it expresses a powerful message.

TROUBLES come to pass—they don’t stay. Have you noticed that? Things that bothered you five years ago generally are gone and today you face new troubles.

WORRIES come to pass—they don’t stay. It seems like they do, but they really don’t. Most couldn’t remember what they worried about five years ago. Worries change.

TEMPTATIONS come to pass—they don’t stay. They come and go and change as we change. Satan throws one thing at us and then another. Rarely do they stay the same after much time.

  What is interesting about this expression, “it came to pass,” is that it reminds us that there is an end to what we are going through. The problems, trials, and temptations will end. Bad days will end. Unpleasant situations, such as medical tests, sitting in the principal’s office, being pulled over by the police, being taken to the wood shed by your boss, they end. They don’t last, especially forever.

  The wonderful thing about “it came to pass” is that the things that weigh us down do not cross over into the next world. In Heaven there will not be troubles, worries or temptations. Those are the things of this life. They will come to pass…they will end.

  I’ve said this expression to myself on many unpleasant occasions, just thinking to myself that someday, this will all be gone. This too shall pass.

  Heaven will not be an extension of our world up there. It’s not an amusement park. It’s not fishing all day long. It’s God’s world, and God’s home. He’s inviting us to His place. Heaven is a reflection of God. Just as we decorate our homes to reflect our tastes, God’s home, is a reflection of Him. And worries, temptations, and troubles will not find a place in God’s home.

  It came to pass…it doesn’t come to stay!

Roger