Daily Devotions
Going Through the Storms of Life With Friends
Title: Going Through the Storms of Life With Friends
(Today's devotion is in honor of Marqueta Cook who was laid to rest yesterday after a long battle with cancer. She inspired all of us by her courage and faith. And she was a good friend to me and my family. We will surely miss her.)
Reading for June 5: Job 39-42
Weekly reading for June 3-9: Acts 25-28
And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.
Acts 27:20
Paul didn't have to take this difficult voyage to Rome by himself. Luke was with him (as indicated by the "we," "our," and "us" pronouns in the chapter) and Aristarchus.
This was not the first time these two men had been with Paul through a difficult storm. Luke was with Paul through much of his second missionary journey (probably joining Paul in Troas, Acts 16:8-10). Aristarchus was dragged into the theatre during the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:29).
There is some question about how these two men were able to go with Paul to Rome. It's possible (as William Ramsey suggests in his book St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen), that they would have had to claim to be Paul's slaves in order to receive permission. We do know that by the time Paul is in Rome, he calls Aristarchus his "fellow prisoner" (Col 4:10).
It's hard to go through the storms of life all alone. We need friends like Luke and Aristarchus who will sacrifice their time and comfort to come along beside us and go through these storms with us. That's why God has given us the church where we can be mutually encouraged by each other (Rom 12:9-15).
Father, thank you for good friends who will be there for us through the storms of life. And thank you for Marqueta and all of the ways she blessed us by her friendship.
