Where God called him… he went.
Last week, I shared how terrifying it can be for me as an obsessive-compulsive planner who analyzes every possible outcome of an unknown future to take a step of faith without a clear-cut plan of where I am going. I also conveyed how all of my Bible studies so far this year seem to be speaking to me on this very topic. Over the past few days, I have been studying the missionary journeys of Paul, and guess what? You got it. The same message, reminding me that I am to trust God completely, even if stepping in faith means that I do not have a pre-printed itinerary in front of me.
As the scene opens in Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch, and the Holy Spirit is guiding them to leave the work they are doing there and go elsewhere (See Acts 13:1-3). I do not read anything about fear or anxiety, or the two questioning whether to go… they just go. In Acts 13:5, Luke writes, “So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus” (KJV). What an amazing example of stepping in faith! God says go, and the next thing you know, they are on their way aboard a boat crossing the sea.
So, Paul is off on his first missionary journey. We can follow his path through the scriptures from Salamis (Acts 13:5) to Paphos (Acts 13:6) to Perga (Acts 13:13) to Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:14) to Iconium (Acts 13:51) to Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:6). Now as much progress as Paul made in sharing the Gospel, he was also faced by much opposition. One such occasion occurred in Lystra, where Paul was stoned and left outside the city walls, presumed to be dead. Acts 13:14 details, “And there came certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead” (KJV). Of course, Paul was not dead. But what I found most surprising is what Paul did next. Acts 13:15 says, “Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city…” (KJV). Imagine that. He got up and walked right back into the city where people just stoned him and left him for dead. Talk about stepping in faith… that was a step of faith.
I can’t help but think of how I would react. Almost twenty years ago, I caught a stomach virus after eating at a buffet, and to this day, I still avoid buffets. If something has an adverse action or I have been somewhere that I have had a bad experience, I tend to avoid it in the future.
For days now, I have studied Paul’s trek and pondered on his bold steps of faith. I have started keeping a journal with my thoughts on the scriptures I am studying and how the message has impacted my day and my week. And every day… more and more, I find myself writing about overcoming my fear of the unknown and trusting, completely trusting, my Father to guide my path in whatever He has for me to do.
I leave you with this final verse… one I repeat often… as does the main character in The TRUTH Trilogy… and ironically enough, these words were written by Paul in his letter to the Philippians.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 KJV
