The beloved physician Luke wrote how Paul and the men with him, “sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted”, and in chapter twenty and verse thirteen of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul and his traveling companions, “went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos” where we read:
And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul:
for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.
The verse begins, “And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul:” Luke began with the words, “and we went before to ship” which means “and we, Luke and the fellow disciples left in advance and preceded to a sailing vessel or boat”, “and sailed to Assos” or “and put to sea and navigated toward Assos whose name means approaching and was a seaport of the Roman province of Asia in the district anciently called Mysia, on the north shore of the Gulf of Adramyttium, and about 7 miles (11 km) from Lesbos”, “there intending to take in Paul” which means “in Assos having in mind and thinking to receive Paul whose name means small or little”. Luke shared how he and the fellow disciples and travelers boarded a boat and went to “Assos” where they intended to receive “Paul”.
The verse goes on to say, “for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.” Luke continued with the words, “for so had he appointed” which means “because, since and on account that he, Paul, arranged, appointed, ordained, prescribed and gave order”, “minding himself to go afoot” or “intending and having in mind himself, or Paul's own self, to travel by walking”. Luke shared how “Paul” intended to walk to “Assos”.
When we consider think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how God was leading “Paul” and those with him again. This time they traveled by ship to “Assos”, and “Paul” intended to “walk” the twenty mile distance from Troas. Perhaps since “Paul” knew what was going to happen to him, and he needed some time to pray and think. God has a plan for every person, and when they yield to His Son Jesus as their “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive their sins, grant them everlasting life and lead and guide them to fulfill His purposes and plans for them in His Kingdom. Let all who read these words yield themselves to Jesus who alone knows the best path for their lives and will walk with them as it is fulfilled.
Next time Luke shares, “when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment