Year 7, Day 254: Acts 21

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Acts 21 is an interesting study of human reactions.  We can start with Paul.  As I said yesterday, his mind is on going back to Jerusalem. He wants to go and report about what God is doing among the Gentiles.  He also has a collection of money that has been collected by the Gentiles for the support of the orphans and widows in Jerusalem.  He wants to complete that mission.

On the other hand, we have the whole of the rest of the people that Paul meets.  They know what will happen if Paul returns.  In fact, we can read into the words of this chapter to say that the reason they know is because the Spirit of God has warned them.  They don’t want bad things to happen to Paul.  They urge him to not go to Jerusalem.  They urge him to stay away for his own security.

These two positions often cause an internal debate in my mind.  Is Paul being stubborn when God tries to warn him?  Or is the flipside true: are the people encouraging Paul to take a path other than what God has ordained for him?

I don’t think that either are necessarily right or necessarily wrong.  Has God called Paul to Jerusalem?  Certainly.  Has God warned the people about Paul’s future should he go?  Certainly.  Could God continue to use Paul if he had chosen to go elsewhere besides Jerusalem?  Absolutely.  I don’t think that this has to be a case of choosing one over the other.  Paul goes to Jerusalem, which I personally feel is the higher calling.  He is willing to cast his life aside for the opportunity to proclaim what God is doing among the Gentiles.  But that doesn’t mean that the people are wrong in warning Paul about the danger, either.

We know the end of the story.  We know the incredible ways that God continues to use Paul to reach people at every step of his journey ahead.  Certainly, the right choices are made along the way.  The right thing happens.  We should be careful to not be too critical when looking at those people around Paul who are offering caution.  Nobody wants to see people inherently make tough decisions; and certainly nobody wants their friends to endure hardship.

It should also be an illustration as to how hard it is to follow God.  Being obedient to Him is a tough calling.  Encouraging others to be obedient, especially when it means making a tough decision, can be even more difficult.  We need God’s help in this.  We will also likely make mistakes along the way.  We need God to guide, encourage, and forgive.

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