It was a hodgepodge kind of day, Father, but I’ll take it! Karen and I accomplished a variety of things, but it was just nice spending time together. You have blessed me!
Acts 20:1-6 (<<click here to read the passage)
How many times do we think that our lives are menial and we aren’t accomplishing anything of significance? We just go through our routines. Sometimes we do things that may be out of the norm but…it’s just life!
Reading through today’s text, nothing tells you what was going on behind the scenes. Yes, we see that Paul realizes his opposition is out to kill him and he avoids giving them the opportunity to do it, but before all that, it says

Then he traveled down to Greece, where he stayed for three months. vs2b-3a

Putting together a timeline, scholars discovered that those three months were spent in Corinth. And do you know what he did while in Corinth? He wrote a letter! Boy, that’s exciting, isn’t it!
We’re not into letters much anymore, but we may pop off an email once in a while, or maybe a message via Facebook or Twitter. Some text fairly often or we might throw in a phone call occasionally.
We communicate, but not to the extent that Paul was while in Corinth. His letter carried a tad more content than your everyday text. At this point, he’d not been there, but Paul wrote his letter to the church in Rome…better known to us, as the book of Romans! Can you believe it?!
As my Life Application Bible tells me, believers had already started a church there.
Remember, back in chapter 2, visitors from Rome heard Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost. And then more recently, we know that Paul became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila…who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 18:2 NLT
He was letting the Roman believers know that he was planning to visit them. That was good news for them, but the best news was that “simple” letter to the Romans was a theological essay on the meaning of faith and salvation, an explanation of the relation between Jews and Gentiles in Christ, and a list of practical guidelines for the church.
Collegiate professor Dr. Allen Ross shares in his Introduction to the Book of Romans on the Bible.org website,
The theme of the book centers on the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16-17<< click here). Paul is deeply concerned that his readers understand how a sinner may be received as righteous by a righteous God; and how a justified sinner should live daily to the glory of God.
The book has greatly impacted people since the Roman church set its eyes on it. It’s not a book we just breeze through, but it takes time and thoughtful contemplation
Centuries later Martin Luther’s life changed forever when he read it. Here’s what he had to say,

This Epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and the very purest Gospel, and is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes

It may be hard to believe, but God uses us right where we are, doing just what we are doing. Whatever it is, do it with all your heart…just make sure your heart is seeking out God’s heart. For you never know how much your “letters” might change the world of someone else!

July 7th, 2022, Thurs, 8:56 pm