13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. Acts 20:13-17
Paul’s team went ahead by sea to Assos. Since Luke was with them, perhaps he twisted their arms to hop a boat, because he was a sailing enthusiast. In their voyage they’d have to navigate around Cape Lectum, which would be both challenging and thrilling.
Their leader Paul, however, planned to take the direct route to Assos on foot via a Roman coastal road. Along the way, he’d plan the rest of the journey to Jerusalem, with the objective of arriving by Pentecost. But more importantly, he’d have time for prayer. Such is the role of a leader; praying and planning. Success is only possible if both are practiced, but it would make sense to pray first.
One of the things he decided was to skirt Asia. He sensed if he ventured back into Ephesus he’d be detained. Yet, he knew that he needed to say farewell to the city’s elders in person, because he had a premonition that he’d not see them again. So he summoned these men to meet up in Miletus.
“And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.” Acts 20:25
Prescience is the God-given trait of a leader, that is, to know something before it takes place, or to possess foreknowledge. It is also called wisdom. Without it, no ministry succeeds. For it prayer is offered.
However, unforeseen circumstances can force us to move forward on just a wing and a prayer. As Paul would see, best laid plans would not be necessary in the days ahead!
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