Acts 20:36-21:6
English
Standard Version (ESV)
36 And when he had said these things, he
knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much
weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being
sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not
see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
21 And
when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos,
and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.[a] 2 And having found a ship
crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we
had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and
landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 And
having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through
the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 When
our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all,
with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And
kneeling down on the beach, we prayed 6 and said farewell to
one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.
Paul made many
friends in his time of ministry. In each
place that he left, tears were shed as he departed. Those who listened to
Paul’s admonishments along with his encouragements became quite fond of
him. They may have even depended on him
to be their spiritual guide. When he
departed from them and told them he would not see them again, they became
sorrowful.
It was not just
tears that were shed but also prayers were spoken as he departed. This what struck me the most in the reading
today is the way in which Paul departed.
In both instances the people accompanied him to his ship and they prayed
before he departed. When my husband and
I go on a trip together or with our family, before we leave our hometown we
pray. No one is accompanying us, no one
is sad that we are leaving, and no one will probably miss us while we are gone,
but we pray as we depart. We don’t know
if we will be back so we pray and know our future is in the hands of God. As
these individuals sent Paul off to continue on his journey to Jerusalem,
they realized would likely no see him again, which drew them to the throne of
grace where they would find comfort and strength. What do you think they prayed about? Did they pray for his safety, did they pray
that God would send him back to them?
Maybe they thanked God for sending Paul to them and asked for wisdom and
strength in his absence. Whatever the case
may have been, they prayed, and God’s will was done.
As you seek Him
may you know that prayers to the Father bring comfort in times of stress, peace
in times of chaos, and understanding in times of doubt. Know that He is God and He cares for you.
Seeking Him with
all my heart,
Sheila
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