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. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, andon the following day arrived at Miletus. 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. (Acts 20:13-16)
Paul had two goals. He wanted to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost. God had interrupted his plans to be there at Passover so he could spread the good news to more people on his third missionary journey. Paul’s second goal was to meet with the Ephesian elders.
In order to reach goals we need a plan. Paul limited his time to seven days in Troas and decided to not visit Ephesus in order to meet his first goal. To meet his second goal, Paul planned to stop in Miletus, fifteen miles from Ephesus and meet the elders there.
Luke doesn’t tell us that Paul prayed about his goals and plans, but we know he did. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known it was his last chance to meet with the Ephesian elders in person.
God wants us to pray, set goals, and make plans like Paul did to maximize our accomplishments, generosity, and joy. The new year is a good time to begin. If God interrupts your plans to accomplish His will or teach you a lesson, thank Him and reschedule your week.
Father, I praise you for having plans to prosper me and give me hope and a future. Place them in my heart and mind. Make Your will mine. Help me set goals and make good use of my time. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
I have no idea what God’s plan is for me. I think he nudges us, and He leads us to where He wants us to be in our lives. I don’t believe He plans every second of our lives because He gave us free will and He wants us to use free will. If we use our free will and something goes wrong we go to Him with remorse and if it goes right we go to Him and give Him the glory.
We’ve talked about God’s plan for your life and you thought it was His will that you care for and spread His love to those in Your household. Your family depends on you for God’s peace and love (as mine does). Once it was a full-time job for me to do that but my children are grown and don’t require as much from me. You have a husband with a debilitating diagnosis, a daughter and son-in-law who have mental health issues, and a very impressionable grandson that live with you. He gives you free will to be a warm breeze or thunder on a stormy day. Being a warm breeze or a ray of sunshine is difficult in the storms of your own life. But Paul said: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12b-13) So it is possible. I believe God wants me to make an extra effort to encourage people so I’ve chosen three people to purposely encourage during 2022 and see if I can make a difference in their lives. To be effective it will require planning. God nudged me. I have free will to do it or not do it. Hopefully, at the end of this year, I will give Him glory. I love you Sis. Blessings.
I wasn’t very articulate when writing this. I should have said, I have no idea what God’s plan for me is beyond caring for and loving my family. I object to you saying that my daughter and my son-in-law are psychologically challenged. They both have mental health issues. There are millions of people in this country that are taking mental health medications and I would not ever refer to those people as challenged. Christ will give me strength to get through the surgery and through the healing process. Blessings and I love you!
I am so sorry for using the wrong words. I changed them. Please know I didn’t mean to hurt you or Victoria. I love you both so much. I’m praying for you, and I love you too.
I know the hurt was not intentional. Thank you for saying you are sorry. Love you and blessings!
It wasn’t. Thanks for your understanding. This has been a difficult week for me. That wasn’t my only faux pas. Just not thinking clearly.