I found this verse interesting. I've heard commentary on this passage, that talked about whether the centurion should have listened to the pilot and owner of the ship or to Paul, but not much about how people felt when it was clear they had gone wrong.
We have felt like this much this year, and this is perhaps the first time I see a really good representation of it. Not that I've been to sea much, though I have felt the uncontrollable wrenching of seasickness. What would it be like to not see the sun or stars for days? I think this is something of what we have felt. Praise God, it didn't end there. When we see the sun blotted out, we know that this is not the end of it. Paul did make it to Rome. And, as God promised Noah,
Gen 8: 21b "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake,
although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor
will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
22 "While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease."
In doing a bit of a word search, I also saw that the sun and stars would give testimony to the power of Jesus when He comes to make all things right:
Luke 21:25"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
But those distresses aren't the end, either. Once He has shaken the heavens and the earth, he provides for all our needs, giving us the light we need, and ending our mourning:
Isaiah 60:19 " The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the LORD will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.
And in the end, we will praise Him, along with the very creation we feared to lose:
ps 148:
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created.
6 He also established them forever and ever;
He made a decree which shall not pass away.
It is His eternal decree we aught to fear, I guess. Because the only way the sun and moon and stars would actually be lost is by command of the One who brought them to us in the first place. So until we lose His favor, we should be OK. And He tells us it will be OK when He does finally remove them, and fulfill our needs directly.
So, we want to feel fulfilled, responsible, loved, in control of our lives, etc. And we don't, which feels like the sun and stars have abandoned us. Can we trust God to fill the need for these affirmations? Can we trust that there will at least come a day, if it isn't already here, where God will fill these needs for us personally and directly, keeping us from needing affirmation in our suave personal relations, our organized dayplanner, our articulate speech, or our cool job? Having been through a shipwreck this last year, I can testify that I see clearly the vision presented in Rev 21:
3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
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