Arrival at the Center of the World

"It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island—an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed
up the coast to Puteoli. There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.

The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God. When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier."    Acts 28:11-16





Today's Reflection

It was a wild trip from Caesarea to Rome for Paul and his companions! But they got there. The picture below shows some of the remains of the Appian Way, the first of the famous Roman roads. It was begun in 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus, after whom is was named. The Roman roads, the Peace of Rome (“Pax Romana”), the common language (Greek) throughout the Empire, were all orchestrated by God ahead of time to enable the Gospel to spread to the center of the most powerful empire on earth so quickly. I find it interesting that Paul’s arrival in Rome puts him immediately onto that first road of the empire, built by a pagan, but unbeknownst to them, the road’s builders were God’s unwitting servants.

So Paul got to Rome! Most of us want to get there to see the sights. Paul wanted to get there so that the world may know that there is one God and that this one God cares about every inch of the planet and every soul on it. And that He cares so much that he sent his only begotten Son, indeed Himself, to perish so that we might have everlasting life.

And yes this great God used the most powerful men in the world as his subcontractors to build the empire in such a way that the news would get out quickly.

Here’s a thought. Could it be that the degree to which you are living to get the good news out is the degree to which you will find God’s having already “built roads for you” in the most unlikely of places?

Today's Prayer

"Lord Jesus, as I think about the picture below, I know that you are right now the competent CEO of the universe, creating roads and ways for all of us follow you effectively. All circumstances and all people, even the Roman empire are being opened up by you pathways forward for each of us who submit to you. Help me to follow. Amen”