verses read: Acts 21: 7-16, Proverbs 10:8
prayer: 15 minutes
Once again, Paul is warned that he will face suffering when he goes to Jerusalem, and so everyone tries to dissuade him from doing so. But he does so anyway, saying that he is willing to die for the sake of the Gospel. I wonder why, why after so many promptings from the Holy Spirit about what was ahead, he still went ahead and chose suffering instead?
I think the reason is that God is a gracious God. His will for us is not a single road, but is a road made up of different choices; choices that we all have to make. And many times, all the choices that He gives to us are all within His will; the question then is which path will God be greater glorified? And usually, from experience and from history, it's the path of suffering. But along with that suffering, comes a joy so great that it cannot be taken away, and it cannot be contained.
Paul did not choose the easy way out. Jesus Himself did not choose the easy way out. So why should we choose the easy way out and take the path of least resistance? The only thing that stops the will of God from being done is the will of man. And so I guess that Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, as he knew it would glorify God more, even though he knew it would bring great suffering.
So this is the path that I'm going to take. I see a fork in the road ahead. One, a God given opportunity to do something great for The Church. Another, a desperate attempt at salvaging the past. Which should I choose?
The wise in heart accepts commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. - Proverbs 10:8
