Acts 20:38 “What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”
Paul spent his transformed life traveling and unapologetically sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that he was persecuted for his beliefs and in Acts 20 the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit warned him that prison and hardships were facing him in every city. So now, as he traveled to Jerusalem, hoping to arrive by Pentecost, he had to say goodbye to the Ephesians in whom he had poured his life into for the sake of Christ. Paul knew that he probably would not see these people again. Can you imagine the pain and anguish he felt?
He had spent hours upon hours sharing all that He knew to be true with them in hopes that they would make it their own. That not only would they believe but that they would ruminate on it, live worthy of it and then share it with others. The people were grieved because they knew Paul loved them. He loved them enough to share the Truth of the Gospel with them and now they were told that they would never lay eyes on Him again.
I thought about all those times Paul was teaching these people. They probably didn’t think that this was a passing moment in time and it would happen no more. They probably didn’t take time to treasure every word he spoke or every gesture he made. They probably didn’t memorize his gaze or notice the little things that endear our hearts to others. I say all this because we often take things for granted. We take situations for granted. We take associates for granted. We take our jobs for granted. We take our loved ones for granted. What if we knew that this would be the last time we would ever see them or hear their voice? Would we linger a little longer to talk? Would we gaze into their eyes and try to understand their pain? Would we cherish the words that roll off their lips and store them up in our hearts? Would we not worry so much about our schedules or agenda and take the time to enjoy them a little more? I wonder . . . . . .
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Dear Lord,
None of us are promised tomorrow. As a matter of fact, we aren’t even promised this evening. Forgive us for going about life ho hum as if we’ve done it hundred times, not giving attention to the little things in life, the sweet simple things that You lay at our feet every day. Help us to wake up eager to join You in the morning, ready for the events of the day, wondering who You will bring in our midst, and listening for Your precious whispers from heaven. Give us the desire to be intentional in all that we do, in all that we say, and pour ourselves into every relationship. May we bring joy into every situation and leave people with the feeling that they’ve been loved and are different because of us. Help us to boldly share the Truth just like Paul and pour ourselves into the lives of whomever we are with. We have big shoes to fill but Lord, we are willing. . .
In Jesus Name,
Amen
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