Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship’s boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
Do Not Be Afraid was the title of a Lenten Worship series authored by my seminary homiletics professor, Gerhard Aho. Not only was he a skilled homiletician, and gifted writer, he was a man of noble character. I admired him as one of the best seminary professors I learned under. This particular series of sermon outlines and thought starters was especially edifying to me and to many.
Don’t be afraid. It was the message shared with Zechariah when he encountered the angel in the Holy of Holies. It was the word of encouragement to Mary when the angel Gabriel appeared to her announcing that the Savior would be born of her. Zechariah, Luke tells us, was troubled at the encounter. Mary was “greatly troubled.” Ninety times in the English translations of the Bible this phrase shows up. Do not be afraid.
Maybe that’s a good word for us today, for there are many things of which we should be afraid. COVID seems not easily to be giving up its intrusion into our bodies. The elections loom large in many people’s minds – whether from right or left – at the prospect of the other candidate being elected. Inflation, the economy, the moral decline of our nation, and climate change cloud the vision of all sorts and kinds of people.
I notice something in Luke’s record of these events. He records Paul’s words,
“For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.”
Boil it down and you have, “Do not be afraid…God has granted you…” Luke’s record of the Gabriel’s appearance to both Zechariah and Mary includes their names: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Do not be afraid, Mary.” It is the same here: “Do not be afraid, Paul…” God is at work and he knows us by name.
Whatever fear looms large in your mind, or paralyzes your heart, know that God knows your name, and is at work in your life. Sometimes we see that more immediately than at other times. But take heart! God has this. He has you. And he is good. He is the one whom we should fear, love, and trust above all things.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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