Luke the beloved physician wrote how he, Paul and others were sailing to Rome, and “Julius”, “a centurion of Augustus' band”, “courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched from there, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse five of the book of Acts Luke shared, “when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia” where we read:
And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
The verse begins, “And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, ...” Luke began with the words, “and when we had sailed” which means “and at the time we, Luke, Paul and those traveling with them, had set sail and made voyage by boat” “over the sea of Cilicia” or “above the deep waters belonging to Cilicia whose name means the land of Celix and was a maritime province in the southeast of Asia Minor, boarding on Pamphylia in the west, Lycaonia and Cappadocia in the north and Syria in the east. Its capital, Tarsus, was the birth place of Paul” “and Pamphylia” whose name means “of every tribe and was a maritime province in the southeast of Asia Minor, boarding on Pamphylia in the west, Lycaonia and Cappadocia in the north and Syria in the east. Its capital, Tarsus, was the birth place of Paul”. Luke shared how he, Paul and the others traveling with them “sailed” above the deep waters belonging to the maritime provinces in the southeast of Asia Minor named “Cilicia” and “Pamphylia”.
The verse goes on to say, “... we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.” Luke continued with the words, “we came to Myra” which means “we, Luke, Paul and the others traveling with them arose and appeared in the city of Myra whose name means myrrh or myrtle juice and was an important town in Lycia, on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, on the river Andriacus, 2.5 miles (4 km) from the mouth”, “a city of Lycia” or “a habitation, abode and dwelling place belonging to Lucia whose name means wolfish and was a mountainous region in Asia Minor, bounded by Pamphylia, Phrygia, Caria, and the Mediterranean Sea”. Luke shared how he, Paul and the others traveling with them sailed to city of “Myra” which was located in the mountainous region of “Asia Minor”.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn more about the sailing journey of him, Paul and the others traveling with them to Rome. Along the way they “sailed” over the “sea” belonging to “Cilicia and Pamphylia”, and they arrived in the city of “Myra” in the mountainous area of “Asia Minor”. Though God's purpose was for “Paul” to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people located in “Rome”, it did not mean he would get there immediately or without obstacles and difficulties. God's will was to be done, and because He loves people so much, His message of sending His Son Jesus to die for the sins of all mankind was to be spread. When a person surrenders to Jesus, they will be forgiven of their sins, granted everlasting life in Heaven and used in God's Kingdom to spread the word of His salvation to others. Even though it sometimes takes a process of time to fulfill, God shall fulfill His will, and those who are wise yield to Him.
Next time Luke shares how, “there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein”, 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".
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