Daily Hope

September 15,2021 - Acts 28: 11-31

Acts 28:11- 31

All roads have a destination. For instance, all roads either lead home, to Mecca, Jerusalem, Washington, or during the time of Paul to Rome. Wherever the destination happens to be, the end point holds something important to the traveler. The objective is to reach the end of the journey!

Being a prisoner and a ward of the kingdom can have its benefits as well as its inconveniences! Very little had to be done to arrange the travel, no travel agent, no looking at maps or sleeping arrangements were necessary. The government was responsible for arranging everything, and they paid for it all. The negative side was that you had no say in your arrangements, the food did not always fit your palette and the time schedule was someone else’s discretion.

Paul had now been a prisoner off and on ever since he was converted and had become a servant of Jesus Christ. His terms for service had been clear from the beginning when the Lord spoke to Ananias, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16). Now as he approached his destination of Rome, as a prisoner of the empire, but more importantly, a prisoner of his Savior, his goal remained the same. He met with believers to encourage and be encouraged, met with Jews to present Jesus as their Messiah and finally with Gentiles to present Christ as their Savior.

Whether traveling with his team or imprisoned and traveling with Roman guards, Paul’s sole purpose was to introduce people to his Savior. From morning to evening his desire was to teach, persuade, and to create a clear division between those who accepted Christ or rejected Him and walked away. Under house arrest for two years Paul was allowed to proclaim Christ with no hinderance because he was a prisoner of Rome.

May we learn from the example of Paul’s life and use every circumstance to our advantage for presenting Jesus Christ. If we conclude that we are where the Lord would have us for that period, then we will be able to be more content and endure the difficulties that are present. Paul states in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”. No suffering is easy, no confinement ideal, and no physical impairment is desired yet, as a servant of Christ, may we also have Paul’s godly perspective on our journey.


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