Moving Forward

“I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried … if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”—Acts 25:10–11 NASB

Paul had been warned about what would happen if he went to Jerusalem. Friends begged him not to go, but he would not be dissuaded: “For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).

As prophesied, Paul was handed over to the Gentiles in Jerusalem. Ironically after this arrest, he found himself back in Caesarea where he faced a series of Roman rulers. There, he had other opportunities to return to Jerusalem. But he knew that God had called him to move forward. He had learned to follow God and not to presume he could predict the next step in his journey. He needed to continue moving forward, letting God direct his path.

He knew Jewish leaders wanted him to return to Jerusalem where they would have more opportunities to attack him. But to Paul, going to Jerusalem also would have meant going backward. He sensed that God was calling him onward.

He had learned to trust God. This meant facing unknowns, trusting Him, and having more opportunities to witness in new ways. In fact, by appealing to Caesar, Paul was opening the door to new initiatives for the Gospel.

God calls each of us onward to learn from our past, embrace His plans, and move forward as He directs. Trust Him each step of the way.

Reflection Question: Where do you sense God is calling you to go in this season?