“1 After we tore ourselves away from them and set sail, we came by a direct route to Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. 3 After we sighted Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 So we found some disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. 5 When our days there were over, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, escorted us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, 6 we said good-bye to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

7 When we completed our voyage from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them one day. 8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9 This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

10 While we were staying there many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, ‘This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into Gentile hands.” 12 When we heard this, both we and the local people begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul replied, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’

14 Since he would not be persuaded, we stopped talking and simply said, ‘The Lord’s will be done!'”

Acts 21:1-14

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To the unbeliever or the unstudied, this journey is becoming increasingly unusual. “Why is he going to Jerusalem? Why does he keep pressing on?” You’d think, that after all these warnings, and with all these people telling him not to go, Paul would get some kind of hint to settle down elsewhere and not go to Jerusalem, right? “Just stay in Ephesus, go back to Antioch. Be somewhere safe, and settle down in your old age. No one would blame you.” 

But that’s not what Paul is about. That isn’t his mission. Paul hasn’t been called to retirement. He hasn’t been wired to shut down in the face of adversity. Remember, this is Saul who became Paul. He is a firebrand, a zealous, passionate man! He doesn’t have it in himself to shut up & sit down. God knew this before hand, this is why Paul was chosen for this particular task. Because, while things weren’t going to go well in Jerusalem, Paul wasn’t going to die there. Jerusalem would just be the hingepin that turned his journey in a very specific direction and that will propel him into a place and situation that he could not have manufactured for himself. 

Going to Jerusalem was going to be the death of Paul…eventually. And it was the death of any hope or desire of a simple, comfortable path. Paul would have been glad to keep visiting the churches he had already planted over the course of his missionary journeys. We see just how strong the bonds are in every city that he visits. But, again, this is not the path for Paul. His fierce determination would help see conversations take place that will reach deep into the heart of Rome itself, even into the household of the Emporer. God was going to strengthen him again and again to see this done. Back in chapter 9, God told Ananias that Paul was going to suffer much for the sake of His Name. But this is a suffering that was going to be totally worth it. 

So, Paul was bound & determined to go to Jerusalem. He knew He needed to go & te warnings of the others were just confirmation that he was on the right path. He knew what was going to happen & he was prepared in his heart and mind to face those hardships for the glory of God. 

We aren’t naturally wired to act this way. We want to be safe and comfy and have things be easy. But God has never promised us that. And the ‘easy’ life? It doesn’t require faith as much & so we find a false comfort in the lack of needed effort. We think, “Oh, this is going smoothly, I must be on the right track.” And while there will be times where things are smooth and easy, God does provide those green pastures and still waters, we should be mindful that God has given us power through His Holy Spirit to do things that are more amazing and will have a greater impact than we could ever accomplish on our own if we will just trust Him and go where He leads us. It probably isn’t to be arrested and hauled thousands of miles from home. But it probably is next door, or to the next office/cubicle at work. God has places to use us that are going to require His strength, His wisdom and the determination that His Holy Spirit brings. 

The call to GoLove as we have been loved, should be a deep, resonating call within our hearts. And the more we listen and respond, the more we will experience the power of God at work in us. The difficult path is the one that most often reveals our weaknesses and His glory. Trust Him in those moments. Take the road that scares you a little, and prayerfully see what God is going to do as you must rely on Him & your faith in HIm, rather than your own strength.