August 22, 2023 | Be On Mission
Days of Sailing toward Jerusalem
Scripture: Acts 20:13-16(NIV)
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
Devotional
It’s all too easy to read through these kinds of passages to get to the “good stuff.” But let’s reflect on this a moment. Paul was finishing his third missionary journey. He was headed back to Jerusalem, where he knew that things were heating up against him. This third trip had lasted nearly four years. He understood that it may be his last missionary journey. Going to Jerusalem to face the music could result in his arrest, imprisonment or even his death.
So Paul decided to walk the twenty miles from Troas to Assos while Luke (who wrote “we” in his book of Acts) and the other traveling companions sailed there. Why do you think that Paul wanted to take such a long walk alone? What do you do when you have a whole day just to think? When is the last time you have gone off the grid and spent an extended time with no phone, computer, TV, or other electronics that occupy our minds? If you had such a day, what would you think about?
Since the next two stops were on islands, Paul abandoned his walking plan and jumped on board the ship, rejoining his traveling mates. A few days later, they arrived at Miletus, about 45 miles south of Ephesus. Perhaps one of the reasons Paul avoided Ephesus was because of the riotous mob that had formed the last time he was there. But the main reason given is that Paul was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem.
Later in this chapter, Paul said, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me— the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:22-24).
What does this tell you about Paul? How does it apply to your own spiritual journey? Do you have a race worth finishing and a task worth completing?
Poem
The Trip
For the four of us back seat sitters...
One day, my Mother said to me
“We’re going on a trip;
So here’s a grocery bag to pack
The clothes you would expect—
Your underwear, a shirt or two
Some shorts, a pair of jeans
A sweater for the evenings cool
Your shoes and socks, sunscreen—
And if, after all’s neatly packed
There’s room for something more
You see if there’s a game or toy
For car ride, you’d enjoy.”
The morning came, all before dawn,
Our grocery bags, all packed,
Were lined up, all there in a row
Back of the Rambler, stacked
We four “big kids” squeezed in the car
(The window seats, best option)
And Mother, Dad sat in the front
With “little kids,” vacation!
We drove along, Dad’s radio
The Cardinal baseball game;
We stopped to have a picnic lunch—
Thank goodness, without rain
In back seat, we, the older four
Began our same routine
Of fighting over pers’nal space
Of “punch bugs,” “I spy” games
While Mother monitored Dad’s speed
While babes in front seat fussed
As Dad tried to adjust the dial
And told us all to “shush”
We soon all settled into song
Our usual harmonies
As we sang silly songs all knew
And leaned toward window’s breeze
About mid-day, we, all worn out,
Leaned on each other’s shoulders
I think we stopped to get some gas
“Last stop before day’s over!”
The Kansas road ahead of us
(Mom stocked up on some water)
The route was straight, no cars for miles
The back seat just got hotter
Six sweaty kids and nervous “growns”
Horizon stretched before us
“Just think,” said Dad, encouraging
“About the campsite’s forest!”
I think a truck came, took awhile
And Dad with brother went
To nearest service station drove
While we sat, discontent
No swimming pool, no shady trees
Just miles and miles of sand
A day passed, maybe two, who knows
The hours did expand
‘Til finally, back in the car
The bad news we received
“The car’s not able, trip to make
No camping, I believe.”
We turned around, and faced towards home
Our grocery bags still packed
With hopes and dreams of pleasant times
By broken car, ransacked
The trip home was more quiet now
Each sat with their own thoughts
The cash Dad planned to pamper us
Our slow ride home he bought
We pulled into our driveway, home
Unpacked our grocery sacks
Our air conditioned home, a joy
Dad, plopped in chair, relaxed
Our destination never seen
Only the journey told
Years later as we tell the tale
Our memories to behold
It was a bonding history
We none of us forget
The hope of days of fun and joy
Which ended in regret
The purpose of that journey?
The purpose of that drive?
The car—it’s dead—but thank the Lord
Each one of us survived
