14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’ Acts 21
We saw yesterday that Ruth clung to Naomi and wouldn’t leave her. Paul too, would not be persuaded by his friends.
Paul was returning from his lengthy third missionary journey and we read in Acts that he stayed with people in their homes. Will there be a resurgence in the Gift of Hospitality in our own day, because of animosity towards followers of Jesus?
8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. Acts 21
Paul stayed with Philip and his daughters who prophesied, but it wasn’t any of these sisters who gave Paul the word that would shape his destiny.
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, “In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.”’
It was a man called Agabus who brought the Word of the Lord to Paul. People may be prophetic, but God chooses who will give His words to each of us and it may be different from what we think.
Paul spent much of his time after this as a prisoner, but it was during those days that he wrote four New Testament epistles; Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. Paul sacrificed his own preferences for the greater good of the Gospel and for us today!
8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. BUT GOD’S WORD IS NOT CHAINED. 2 Timothy 2
Amy Carmichael, was a well known missionary to the children of southern India, rescuing many girls from Temple prostitution. She arrived in India in November 1895 and never left until her death in 1951. Amy spent most of the last two decades of life in her room following a bad fall. (I believe the Lord asked her if she would allow Him to fully have His way in the remainder of her remarkable life.) During those years Amy wrote thirteen new books and countless letters to give personal encouragement and help to others, perhaps her most fruitful years of service.
Two of her many quotes;
“It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desire that He creates.”
“One can’t help anyone whom one doesn’t Love enough to bear with, even as our angels bear with us. We must be most trying to them at times.”
She asked that no stone be put over her grave at Dohnavur. Instead, the children she had cared for put a bird bath over it with the single inscription “Amma”, meaning “mother” in the Tamil language.
Is the Lord asking us to sacrifice something today, so that He May get the greater glory and will we give it?
God bless and keep you today.