There Are No Dream Voyages…
… But There Are Joyous Arrivals
by Jack W. Hayford
I planned my most recent trip to Israel in the same way most of
us pursue things we believe the Lord has spoken to us. We feel certain
there are things God wants to do in our lives, but we’re not
sure how they’re going to happen; and how we would prefer
they happen isn’t usually how they work out. There are no
“conflict-free” journeys, but there are joyous arrivals.
The story of the apostle Paul’s voyage to Rome, as recorded
in Acts 27-28, addresses the issues that every one of us move through.
A Roman citizen, Paul was on his way from Caesarea, where he was
held in prison for nearly two years, to appeal to the court of Caesar.
But Paul didn’t go to Rome simply for a court case; he went
under a sense of divine constraint. The lessons of his journey resonate
in each of us. You may want to open your Bible and follow along
with the Scripture verses noted.
You may desire the destination but be jarred by the journey.
Paul knew he was called, and he had a desire to go. He wrote to
the Corinthians that he was looking to go to “regions beyond”
(2 Corinthians 10:16). Wherever you are in your life with Jesus,
God is always calling you further, to a place that will test your
faith. Along the way, He promises His presence and blessing. All
of history was impacted by Paul’s trip to the “regions
beyond.” None of us can imagine the fruit of responding to
His call to move out of our comfort zones. Are you willing to answer
it? Are you willing to endure the “storms” along the
way?
The journey is seldom on schedule, by the means you imagine,
or with the company you’d prefer. Paul was forced to
travel with nearly 300 prisoners during a season when the “winds
were contrary” and the sailing dangerous (27:4-9). Whenever
you’re called to a journey "beyond," relationships
and circumstances are bound to be tested. Before you “jump
ship,” resolve things where you are, otherwise you may find
yourself in deep water.
Journeys to joy rarely allow you much control. Paul warns
of trouble ahead, but his advice is not heeded (27:9-11). We’ve
all faced situations in which, while walking with God, we had no
control on the human side. Yet remember, we hold the hand of the
One who’s in ultimate control. Paul makes this trip under
constraint—not of the Roman government but of God’s
purpose in him. In his letters, Paul refers to himself
as “a prisoner of Jesus Christ,” not of the Romans—he
won’t give them the credit for controlling him.
.
Sometimes things that start out well later reduce you to hopelessness.
The storm hits hard (27:13-20), and despite Paul’s initial
confidence that he was responding to the Lord’s call, he writes:
“All hope that we would be saved was finally given up.”
In the middle of a storm, even sensing that God is with you, it’s
still easy to wonder if perhaps you’ve been pursuing your
own idea, not God’s.
When hope for a harbor seems lost, remember: No matter how
long the storm, you will never be forsaken (John 16:33; Hebrews
13:5).
The Lord will come to you with a word (27:23). The inconveniences
of our journey are loaded with redemptive opportunity. The angel
encourages Paul that not only will God bring him to his intended
destination, but also that without him, the entire shipload of men
would be lost. Your presence in a muddle becomes God’s
means to bring deliverance to others.
Encourage others in faith (27:22-26). As they approach
land and the possibility of running aground on the rocks, this time
they listen to Paul. If we stay "onboard" during the
storm, the Lord eventually gives us the servant role of helping
others through it. When the love of God shines in you, people will
listen.
Anticipate an unexpected harvest (28:1-10). Shipwrecked
on the island of Malta, Paul is given an unexpected opportunity
to establish the witness of Jesus Christ when he easily shakes off
a deadly snake. A door to ministry of the Gospel and miracle healings
was opened up in a place he never intended to go. Even when
the ship goes out from under you, God’s arms still have
you in tow.
Expect a joyous arrival at your hoped for destination.
God does not call us to a “conflict-free” journey, not
because He designs disaster, but because the world is full of it.
Not only will
He bring you through the storm to the place He specifically
has intended for you, but along
the way you will become an instrument of His grace to people who
would otherwise never know it.
We’re all called to walk with confidence to our eternal destination
with the Lord, but there are other journeys He calls us to along
the way. The guarantee of His presence and the certainty
of His purpose directs us toward our joyful arrival. Respond
to His call with commitment. Don’t “jump ship”
but be His agent of redemptive life in the middle of the storm.
And do anticipate a harvest of unexpected fruit and a joyous arrival
at your intended destination.
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Jack
Hayford Ministries
14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405-2233