Warning

 And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
Acts 21:4 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/act.21.4.ESV

The same Spirit who spurred Paul on told him through some Christ followers not to go to Jerusalem? How do we reconcile these two facts? We need to understand the sovereignty of God.

God is sovereign over what happens to us. He knew Paul would be arrested in Jerusalem. Of course, that's a bad thing, but God was able and willing to work it out for good.

From his arrest in Jerusalem, Paul was eventually transferred to Rome at the state's expense, where he continued to share the gospel. Because he was a Roman citizen, he could appeal to Caesar and have that privilege. So what happened to him only served to serve the gospel.

All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose. There's purpose in the pain of imprisonment, illness, beatings, floggings, persecutions and whatever else we may face as Christians. We can be encouraged that suffering isn't the end of the story.

'Sovereign God, thank You for being in control even when things seem out of control. Please help us to trust You in the midst of whatever we're going through. In Christ's name we pray, amen'

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