Summer At Sea: Week 12 Day 1
Acts 21:1-14
21 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
Godly, good friends are such a blessing. We can learn from them, be encouraged by them, and share in life together. Our friends can pray for us and speak into our lives in so many ways. It would be a difficult thing to journey through life without godly friends.
In today’s Scripture we see Paul greeted in Tyre and in Ptolemais by fellow believers. At both places the friends became concerned that Paul was headed to Jerusalem and tried to convince him not to go. Their hearts were in the right place as Paul was now an enemy of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and they feared for his life. Paul understood, however, that his life was not his own. He belonged, body and soul to his faithful savior, Jesus Christ, and nothing would keep him from obeying the will of God.
This should be a good caution for us. As much as we value and trust our friends, our first allegiance is to be obedient to God. It is fine to seek godly counsel from friends who love us, but because they love us their counsel might be more about protection than obedience. It is our responsibility to discern the will of God for our lives; His good, pleasing, and perfect will.