People are usually convinced that they know the direction they are going and what is going to happen next. But sometimes we discover that there is more to our life than we thought. Suddenly something happens and we become aware that God has a higher purpose for us and we find ourselves pulled in a totally different direction. Paul discovered this when he fell into the embrace of the Spirit. He witnessed fearlessly to Jesus then he realized that he was being taken to Rome to stand trial. This was all for a purpose - so that he could witness in Rome, which was the centre of the ancient world. When we are led by the Spirit we are often taken where we would rather not go but we will be God's instrument.

We fool ourselves if we think that we can live totally apart from God. We might have 'good' lives according to worldly standards, but eternal life only comes by knowing the one true God. Knowing God means experiencing God personally, not knowing 'about' God from books and being well-versed in theology. Jesus said that he made God's name known and he prayed that his followers be protected in that name. In the ancient world, one's name disclosed one's nature. The nature of God that Jesus revealed was love and light. In Him there is no darkness, violence, or punishment. That is the God Jesus invites us to experience. Perhaps, we can reveal God's name to people in our thoughts, words, and deeds.