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Lately I have been trying to think more in terms of eternity when it comes to the circumstances of my life. It is easy for me to be frustrated with a lot of things in my life whether it’s work, family, or even friends. But when I allow myself to digest the individual issues of my life and I try to weigh it against eternity, I realize that most things in this life are temporary and have no impact on the things that God really cares about. When we get hung up on the things that frustrate us, we lose site of the bigger picture. With Paul, he didn’t take the opportunity to run when the prison doors broke open. He saw it as an opportunity to be used by God and in the end he was able to reach the jailer and his family. I hope and pray I look past my present circumstances and allow God to use me for a bigger impact though the circumstances of my life.
Daily Devotion 
I love this story because in it we find out how the Gospel got to us. Paul goes where he thinks that God is leading him, but is thwarted at all his attempts. How often does that happen to us? We sense God leading us somewhere, but we are thwarted at every turn? That’s been the story of my career. The only solace lies in this story. We don’t see the big picture. We don’t see what God is up to. But He does. And He knows how to get us where He wants us. But that always brings up the question, “Well, why doesn’t he just tell me where to go from the get-go?” Good question. It’s a question I’ve asked almost non-stop for several years. And then plain as day, God said, “Because you wouldn’t be who you are if I hadn’t taken you down all those other paths.” God is all about his story, and our process through life is part of that story. He gives us desires, he gives us passions, talents and missions to pursue. But in the end, all of those paths lead us to one place: a role in God’s story as our true selves that only he can see. We don’t become the people God sees us to be if we didn’t go down all the paths we head down. He sees the perfect “us”, and he knows what it will take to get there while we are on this planet. So sometimes we have to head to Asia and Mysia and get told to turn around and go somewhere else, even when we think that’s where God sent us. Because, you know what? Maybe he did send you there, but not for the reasons you thought. So you just go, and rest in the arms our all-powerful God.