Let’s look at Paul’s prayer in Romans 1:8-10 in the King James Version. He asks God to give him a prosperous journey to Rome.
“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.”
When you look at Paul’s journey to Rome, from the world’s point of view, it was far from a prosperous journey, for everything went wrong, but from God’s point of view it was great and glorious. The trouble is our perception of ‘prosperity’ and God’s can be very different. We need to see things from God’s point of view.
Have you ever prayed for God to bless something you were doing, and then it all goes wrong? This can sometimes happen, and later we see that the hand of God was in it for our good. Praise God that our plans are not always sabotaged like this, but when they are be assured God is working behind the scenes. I often stand on this promise in Romans 8:28 claiming that God will work everything out for my good. Our attitude has a lot to do with its working. One translation says that God can ‘turn’ everything out for good for those who ‘love’ Him. Wouldn’t loving Him include praising Him?
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:28-29
Also note that all that happens to us is so that we might be changed into the image of His Son. Praising God in the problems we have, ans trusting Him helps to accelerate the process towards our good.
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.
We need to trust that God is working in our lives and also in us for His good pleasure. We are His pleasure, His Treasure.The trouble is our view of prosperity and God’s prosperity are not always the same. It helps to realise that we are the Last Days and fortunes can and will change over night. Look at the repercussions of the Covid19 Epidemic. Air pilots had a very coveted job with high pay but overnight thousands of them have lost their jobs.
If you don’t see things from God’s perspective, you’ll become discouraged and even bitter. Look at Luke 12:16-21. Here we have a man who had lots of money but was not rich toward God. We need to ask ourselves this question when we come out of our trial, will we be rich towards God? There are lots of people who are very rich as far as the world is concerned, but are they rich towards God?
“Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” “
Look at the great men of faith in Hebrews 11:32-40. Some had it good and others had it hard, but what mattered most was, they were both rich towards God. If we can get our heads around this revelation it will take so much stress out of our lives.
“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
Notice in these verses that there were not only the ones who conquered the enemy, but also those who were poor and even killed, yet they were all great men and women of faith. Their ‘prosperity’ was in their relationship with God and not the situation. They were rich towards God. Some had all things working out for them and others had trouble and even death, but the main point was they kept the faith.
Let’s take a closer look at Paul’s prosperous journey:
Paul’s journey started with him being captured by an angry mob through no fault of his own, for he was preaching the gospel.
1. He was captured by angry Jews who would have killed him, but for Roman intervention. I’m sure there were a few kicks and punches thrown at him in the scuffle that took place.
“And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.” Acts 21:30-31
2. Praise God that the Lord appeared to him one night and spoke a word of encouragement. I would love that to happen to me. It’s more valuable that any amount of silver or gold. The Lord of Glory favouring you with a visitation. It says that He actually stood by him. It wasn’t coming from heaven Jesus was next to him. Isn’t this true prosperity?
“And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” Acts 23:11
3. While Paul was under Roman guard there were 40 Jews who took an oath to kill him. That’s nearly a whole congregation of people for many of us pastors. We get upset if one person says something against us let alone them wanting to kill us. Those evil men ‘s plans were hijacked though as Paul was warned of their plot. I always wondered what happened to those men, as they never did get Paul, what about the vow they’d taken?
“And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.” Acts 23:12
4. Paul was then taken to Caesarea for 5 days and managed to preach to the Governor there. This is an honour to be able to speak to those in high places.
5. He was then taken to Felix and kept there for 2 years, preaching often. This was a major delay in his plans. We get put off if our bus or plane is delayed by a few hours but this was for 2 years. At present there are many folk stranded around the world unable to get back home. Last week I heard of South Africans who are stranded here in New Zealand unable to get back because no flights are going in or out of South Africa. These are perilous times. I hope they don’t have to wait two years like Paul did.
“Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.” Acts 23:23-24
“When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.” Acts 24:27
6. Paul didn’t waste the opportunity for he preached to more leaders of the land, even Agrippa and Bernice.
“The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.“ Acts 25:23
7. Paul was then taken on a ship to Rome. When sailing across to Italy they encountered a storm which disabled the ship and they ended up drifting for 3 days. The captain didn’t know where he was and called for a fast that lasted for 14 days. Imagine if the captain on your flight said he was lost, and that there would be no food served on the flight as we all have to fast? Not only that but all the baggage is to be thrown overboard to lighten the plane.
“The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” Acts 27:15-20
8. In the midst of all of this Paul had another visitation. An Angel appears to him and said that the ship would be destroyed but he’d be safe. Paul told the crew that no lives would be lost if they listened to his word.
After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
Acts 27:21-26
9. They were shipwrecked on the island of Malta but all 276 people were saved and had to swim ashore. The weather was really bad and they all landed safely wet and cold. I noticed that this must have been quite a big ship for there were 276 people on board. The average Airbus today carry's 300 people.
10. They were met by the people of the island and they all stood around a fire to get dry and warm.To make matters worse as Paul is warming himself and putting wood on the fire a poisonous snake latches onto him and bites him. The island people see this and expect to see him drop dead but he is unmoved. They are all amazed and this triggers a revival with people being healed including the Island’s leader. The crew of this ship didn’t leave the island the following week but had to wait 3 more months to be picked up! Another little delay.
“And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously. And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed: Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary. “ Acts 28:1-10
Paul eventually ended up in Rome according to his hearts desire and preached to the leader of world – Caesar. While in spending time in jail Paul wrote the epistle to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and Hebrews and was eventually martyred in Rome. You have to ask yourself, “Was his journey prosperous?”
Was Paul’s journey prosperous?
I’d say it was. He had an Angel and Jesus appear to him and he preached to many world leaders, including Caesar. He had a Revival and a Healing Crusade on the Island of Malta, plus he wrote 5 books of the bible while in jail. Now that’s what I call real prosperity. In Revelation 15:21 we see that there were those who cursed God when things went wrong. Job was also tempted to blaspheme God in Job 1:20-22 and even by his wife in Job 2:9-10. He didn’t give in but kept his integrity and was rich towards God reaping a great reward.
If things aren’t going you way at present remember Paul’s journey and how it all worked out for his good. Look at the Big Picture. Look at the end of Job’s life. He ended up with twice as much as he had before and lived on for another forty years.
Don’t get angry with God; Praise the Lord for this is an act of love and He promises that He will turn everything around for your good for those who love Him.
Paul’s legacy is still blessing and changing the world today. That’s what I call true prosperity.