On Sunday nights at church, we've been studying Paul's letter to the Romans, and last night was the final run. We finally came to the end after months of wonderful study. I LOVE ROMANS!!!! Anyhow, as we were reading chapter 15, something struck me. Paul had so longed to see the Roman believers, who had come to faith through the message that went by Paul's followers. How he dearly would love to meet them face to face. But for some reason, he'd been hindered. 15:22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, he feels his job is finished where he is and that it is time for him to be able to see them. So he writes down what he plans to do in the not so distant future... 15:23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 15:24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be sped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little. But for the time being, he had some practical things to attend to in Jerusalem... 15:25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem with aid for the saints. 15:26 For Macedo'nia and Acha'ia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem; 15:27 they were pleased to do it, and indeed they are in debt to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. ... and THEN he could see them... 15:28 When therefore I have completed this, and have delivered to them what has been raised, I shall go on by way of you to Spain; Now, if you know anything about Paul's story, none of his plans to visit Rome in this way, ever came about... well not in the way HE thought. God had another plan, which ended up through MUCH hardship. Paul ended up being arrested in Jerusalem, and made a prisoner. He then ended up going to Rome, but not as a free man, but as a Roman prisoner. And his crime? Sharing the gospel of Jesus! And his final years were ones of real testing and persecution. So what does that tell us? His plans were GOOD and very GODLY. Why didn't God allow them to happen? Why all this trouble? Did Paul do the wrong thing by making those plans? I would say not! But this does tell me something about our own plan making. It is NOT wrong to plan ahead. However, if we do look at our own plans, no matter how good and virtuous they may be, as the ultimate, and expect God to fulfill them, we will end up greatly disappoint, and maybe even devastated. It is good to have godly desires. But desiring a thing, doesn't mean it will happen. Just look at King David. He so longed to build a temple for God, but God said NO!! That was not what God had called him to do. David's task was to win battles and conquer the enemies. The building would come after the victory had been won, when God's people were living in peace. So, as we know, King Solomon was appointed to build a temple for God... and how magnificent it was!! So we shouldn't be discouraged when our desires don't come about, and God takes us on a different route. Let's remember that HE knows the end from the beginning, and HE knows what He is doing!!! HIS WAYS ARE BEST!!!! |
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