When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

In my freshman year of high school, I became acquainted with what it means to go through a complex trial. These are trials upon trials. I had just lost my mom to cancer and now I was moving from a small, Christian school to a public school, where I had no friends. This was hard. I remember eating lunch for the first few months by myself. Over 30 years later, complex trials have once again returned.

I had been let go from my job, I could not use my skills in the insurance brokerage world for a few reasons, and my wife, who had been a stay-at-home mom, was now needing to look for a job. None of this was planned or preventable. At the same time, I have ministries to run with TurthBursts and Back the Blue Idaho.

Many would say I should pull out and just focus on taking care of my needs. Instead, God put on my heart to start a new branch of our Back the Blue ministry, “Backs the Children”. This ministry is partnering with churches, other ministries, and law enforcement to provide services and resources for victims of child sex trafficking and for training of parents, guardians, and teachers.

Paul was faced with a similar call on his life to bear up under complex trials. Some of the churches he helped found no doubt needed his guidance and teaching. He was also collecting gifts to help the Jerusalem church (traveling there to deliver the gifts). Now he found himself, after being imprisoned for over two years in Caesarea, heading to a trial in Rome. But this did not deter him from fulfilling his spiritual duty and preaching the gospel to many.

Paul was surrounded by trial after trial, or trials compounding, yet his spirit was strong and he remained a witness for Jesus in tough circumstances. (We can see here he was likely weary from his beating and travel, and so his friends came to take care of him.)

How did he do this? Why did he not just pull back and take a break? I believe it is because God wanted to shine in his trials, show off his power in Paul’s weakness, and draw many to himself. We see that Aristarchus, who was traveling with him, likely became a follower of Jesus (as he is mentioned as one of his traveling companions in Philemon 24).

Paul’s trials were very difficult. He, however, kept his focus on Jesus and persevered. “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” ‭‭(II Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬b-‭9‬)

How do I keep my focus on Jesus and persevere well in complex trials? How can I use his strength in my weakness? In complex trials, will I retreat or advance the gospel?

Lord, thank you for the examples of your disciples, specifically Paul here. He endured multiple trials at once, yet was still able to faithfully minister as you had called him. I know you can do this for me, as well. You go before me in strength and make a way where there seems to be no way. You are faithful, so faithful. Thank you!