Acts 27:34
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
The words belong to Paul's long and tedious voyage to Italy as a prisoner in chains, lightened by the companionship of Luke and Aristarchus, with Aristarchus sharing Paul's bondage by choice to minister to him in his afflictions. They belong to first-century sea travel, when voyaging involved peculiar hardship and peril because mariners steered largely by the sun and stars, so that when sun and stars did not appear with indications of storm, vessel owners feared to venture into the open sea and during part of the year safe navigation was almost impossible. God's purpose in this sea journey was for the ship's crew to witness His power through Paul and for the Gentiles to hear the name of Jesus, with many to be converted through Paul's teaching and the miracles he performed.
After fourteen days without food, Paul urged everyone aboard to eat, because eating would preserve their health and give them strength for the ordeal ahead. His assurance that not a hair would fall from anyone's head meant that none would be harmed but all aboard would be kept safe and preserved, as God had promised. The promise was given during the storm and was fulfilled when all escaped safely to land. God used Paul, a man of faith, as a means of protecting the whole shipload of soldiers and sailors.
The promise of safety did not make ordinary care unnecessary, so food was still needed. Paul's calm, caring leadership in urging food for health and assuring safety reflected implicit trust in God and helped preserve the lives of his fellow passengers on the storm-battered ship.