Not Where I Want to Be!
"The commander came up and arrested him
and ordered him to be bound with two chains."
Acts 21: 33
Tennis pro Stan Wawrinka has won more than $34 million
in prize money. Last year a foot injury caused him to miss
the biggest tournaments, including the U.S. Open.
On social media, he said,
“Not where I wanted to be,
but still a smile on my face.”
One of the secrets of joy is learning to smile and trust God,
even when we’re not where we want to be. In Acts 21, Paul
was finishing a visit to Jerusalem and packing for a planned
missionary tour to Rome and Spain.
Instead, he was arrested, bound with two chains, and tossed in a
four-year legal battle in Caesarea and Rome. Yet he told the loyal
Philippians, “I want you to know, brethren, that the things which
happened to me have actually turned out.… And in this I rejoice”
(Philippians 1:12, 18).
When we can’t control our environment, we feel distressed.
But God has His plans. His grace can bring smiles to our
faces and joy to our hearts.
"The future is as bright
as the promises of God."
Adoniram Judson
