Acts 20:18-24 (NLT)
18 When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now 19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. 20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
Reflection:
It is difficult enough to face unknown situations, such as going to a new school where you don’t know anyone, or starting a new job. But imagine how Paul must have felt, knowing that he was going to Jerusalem where “jail and suffering lie ahead.” Yet, he continued to move forward, called to fulfill the work that Jesus had assigned him.
He was able to walk into a difficult situation because his life had a sense of purpose. Even in the midst of struggle, he believed that the joy of seeing God’s will being done in his life outweighed the hardship.
When we bind our lives to the Spirit, we’re saying yes to God’s invitation to come into His heart and see His plans and purposes unfold not just in our lives but in the lives of those around us as we tell others of the Good News.
Responding to the Transmitted Message:
No matter what you are going through, declare to the Lord that His will be done in your life. Praise God for the presence of the Spirit in our lives and ask to be bound to His Spirit more and more. Receive afresh the calling to follow Him and to share the Good News with others.
