Saying Goodbye On Earth

-July 17, 2024-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

“When they asked him to stay a longer time with them he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.’ And he sailed from Ephesus.”

(Acts 18:20-21).

The Christian life and ministry is all about God’s timing. The Lord leads and guides us as we live for Him and serve Him. Wherever Paul went, he was a blessing to all the saints, and they were a blessing to him.

Some of Paul’s visits were longer than others; he spent eighteen months in Corinth and three and a half years in Ephesus. He stayed less time in other cities. He helped establish many churches.

He told the saints, “but I will return again to you, God willing.” The future is always in the Lord’s hands. As our dear brother Mike would say, “Be flexible, and you won’t get bent out of shape.” Whenever he says it I think of a toy I played with as a child called Gumby. You could bend him and stretch him into different positions.

I always try to be flexible and let the Lord lead me on a daily basis. It isn’t always easy. Our plans are not set in stone. We must pray, plan and prepare. Sometimes the Lord changes the plan. It may be a cancellation, a postponement, or a delay.

When God changes our schedule or plan, we must accept it and move on. It is counterproductive to get disappointed, discouraged, or frustrated. Just think how many changes Joseph, David, and Paul went through. They trusted the Lord, one day at a time, just as we should.

When we say “Lord willing,” or “God willing,” it isn’t meant to be a Christian catch phrase or formality. We should really mean it. James said, “Come now, you who say, ‘today or tomorrow we will go to such and such city and spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’ (James 1:13-15).

The term goodbye has a greater finality than saying see you later or until we meet again. Even so, all our circumstances are in the hands of our Heavenly Father.

Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.

When life ebbs flows, God directs us on the way we should go.

Dean