Jonathan Munson, Executive Director

“After I’ve been to Jerusalem, I must also see Rome.” Acts 19:21

Getting from ‘here’ to ‘there’ is rarely as easy as we think it will be.

If your own journey feels more like a squiggly line than a straight one, be encouraged. You’re not alone.

Paul longed to visit Rome, and God reassured him that he would indeed get there (Acts 23:11). Yet his journey from “A” to “B” was filled with difficulties that made no earthly sense.

From the moment he set foot in Jerusalem, there were threats on his life. Paul was arrested, dragged through a series of court hearings, and spent two long years as a prisoner in Caesarea. When it was finally time to set sail, a month-long trip turned into a five-month tumultuous ordeal–violent storms, hopeless days at sea, and a near-fatal shipwreck. He was even bitten by a venomous snake as he washed up on the shores of Malta (Really, God? A snake bite after all of that!). Ultimately, Paul arrived in Rome, not as a missionary, but as a prisoner in chains. (Read Paul’s journey– Acts 21:15-28:16.)

If you were Paul, wouldn’t you question whether God ever truly wanted you to go to Rome in the first place?

We all have a ‘Rome’–a place we sense God is leading us. Sometimes, it’s an actual location, but more often, it’s a desire that He has placed in our hearts–like raising a family, building a business or career, serving our community, or leading a ministry. Naturally, we expect the journey to unfold in a logical, orderly fashion.

When the path becomes mired in problems and setbacks, however, our heads spin, and our hearts sink. We think something is wrong.  Did we mishear God? Did He forget about us? Why else would the journey be so chaotic?  

But Paul’s adventure to Rome reminds us that the Lord’s purpose prevails even when the process is messy. Although things may seem to veer off course, God is faithful and still in control. You and I were never meant to understand everything; we were meant to live by faith. Faith is trusting God not only with where we’re going but also with how we get there. Usually, the “how” tests our faith more than the “where.”

Paul’s journey offers us three important reminders.

• ‘Storm-free’ was never guaranteed.
  The presence of adversity doesn’t mean that God is absent. Don’t let hardship make you think you’ve made a mistake. Afterall, He never promised the journey would be easy; He said you would never go alone. When storms come–and they will come–remember that the Lord is sovereign over the storms. He uses them to help guide you where He wants you to go.
  
• Ministry happens in the middle.
  Paul didn’t wait until he got to Rome to minister to others. Instead, he served God during the journey, sharing the Gospel with Roman guards, encouraging fellow passengers on the ship, and testifying to the Truth before governors and kings. Don’t overlook opportunities to serve en route. Be faithful wherever you are. The Lord has a purpose for every person and place you encounter along the way.

• Trust the Guide when the guidance doesn’t make sense.
  God’s methods and timing will most certainly differ from yours. You’ll think you should turn left, and He’ll lead you to the right. You’ll prefer to stay, and God will say, “Go!” or vice versa. Like Paul, you can trust God’s promises even when you don’t understand His process.

DIG DEEPER:
Read “Uncharted Territory” also by Jonathan Munson