What took Paul and his missionary companions three days on their second missionary journey (sailing from Troas to Philippi) took them five days on their third missionary journey. Even when distances are the same, weather and wind direction can greatly change our travel times. This is true even today traveling in jet airplanes.
I learned this on my way to Montana several years ago. The airline stewardess informed us that it would take 1 hour and 37 minutes to travel from Fort Smith, AR to Dallas, TX. I thought that was strange since it normally only takes 40 minutes. She explained that there was a bad storm between Dallas and us, and the only way to make it in 40 minutes was to try to fly through a small gap in the storm. She told us to cross our fingers. This caused some of the passengers to get a little jittery with all this talk of storms and trying to squeeze through a small gap. Then a lady on board said, "Well, if you're on your way to hell, I guess you have to go through Dallas." People laughed, but I was not amused, so I said loud enough for the same people to hear me, "Instead of crossing our fingers, it would be better if we prayed." I just had to say something.
Paul would normally visit the local Jewish synagogue, but we read in
Acts 16:13 that he did not in Philippi because one did not exist. They evidently did not have the ten requisite Jewish males to constitute a synagogue. He went to the river because the custom was, if there was no synagogue where the Jews could meet, then they would meet at the nearest sea or river. Paul went to the river on the Sabbath day, and sure enough, a group of women were praying. There at the river Gangites, Paul and his team shared with the women who had gathered. When you are on mission, you share Christ with people. You say something!
Paul was very much unlike the Pharisees in his day who would not dare speak to women, since they were considered lesser people. The common Pharisaical prayer went like this, "I thank you, God, that you did not make me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman." (
MacArthur, p. 92)
What if today God gave you the opportunity to speak up for His name? If someone dishonored the Lord or made a joke about hell, would you have the courage to speak up? You may not be faced with the scenario of confronting someone because of what he or she said, but you and I will most likely, even today, have the opportunity to share Jesus with another person, like Paul did when he spoke to Lydia about the good news of Jesus Christ.
Are you ready to share Jesus with someone today? If God gives you that opportunity, step up to the plate and swing. The only way to strike out is by not trying. It is amazing how God can use us if we are only willing and obedient.
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