And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.
9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

Sometimes I can get to the place of journey-enjoying, rather than getting-there accomplishment. Most often, however, I want to get there. See the thing. Experience the event. Finish the race. Be done. Accomplish the goal.
This morning I took the time to look out our Airbnb bedroom window and enjoy the view. It wasn’t all that spectacular today. There are no astounding fall colors to see. It was also a rainy day. The view was not particularly amazing. But I decided to take in the view such as it was. Rain water dripping from the green leaves. Tree bark made dark by the rain. But it was peaceful and serene. I wanted to take a moment to enjoy it as it was.
There is another facet of the enjoy-the-journey attitude, beyond the pure joy of the trip or the sights you see along the way. I must ask myself some questions to keep this in mind: Is God doing anything during the journey? Or is he only at work when we arrive at our journey’s end? Am I oblivious to the divine appointments that occur when we are on the way?
Rome is Paul’s hoped-for destination (cf. Romans 1:11-13). He will have a very challenging journey on his way to Rome. He even warns those in charge that they would face injury and loss of even of life if they continue with their plans. So now the situation is even worse: not only will he have to wait to get to Rome, the journey will be made even longer and more perilous.
Luke details the ship’s voyage, together with the necessary detours and changes in plans. Weather will force changes along the way. It will not be an easy trip, nor a safe one. But Paul – as always – will redeem the time. He will have opportunity to witness while en route. Even though Rome is his destination’s goal, there are things to do along the way.
Whether it is a blessing God has in mind for us to receive, or a divine appointment for us to keep, God is in every moment of life’s journeys. Whether we’re on the way to the grocery store or arriving at a beautiful mountain vista, we must be alert to God’s presence and plans for us along the way or at our destination.

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