On The Island Of Malta

On the Island of Malta

Q: What happened to Paul on the island of Malta?

• a. He was tried before Caesar.
• b. He was bitten by a snake.
• c. He became too ill to travel farther.

After the ship Paul was on broke apart (see yesterday’s devotion), all the passengers swam or floated on boards to the shore of an island named Malta. The people there welcomed them and built a fire so they’d warm up and dry out. Paul wanted to help, so he gathered more sticks for the fire.

As Paul laid the sticks on the fire, a poisonous snake bit him on the hand. The people thought the gods had sent the snake to kill Paul because he was wicked. They expected Paul’s arm to swell from the poison, but nothing happened. Paul just shook the snake into the fire.

When Publius, the island’s ruler, heard about Paul, he invited the missionary and his friends to his house. Paul saw that Publius’s father was very ill, so he healed him through God’s power. Then others came to Paul to be healed, and Paul was able to heal them and share the gospel with many people.

Paul and his companions stayed on the island for three months. When it was time for Paul and his friends to continue their journey to Rome, the people gave them supplies for their trip.

God could have spared Paul from the shipwreck, but then Paul would have missed the chance to share the gospel with the people on Malta. The Lord used the shipwreck to land Paul where he wanted him.

For You

God plans the events in your life to put you where he wants you. When something unplanned happens, look for ways God might want to work through it.

Answer: b

As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. . . . But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed.   Acts 28:3, 5

(The Whole Story: Acts 28:1-10)