Prayer Answered, but!

The Apostle Paul had a great longing to visit Rome. He coveted the privilege of preaching the Gospel in the metropolis of the world. From Rome the story of grace might be radiated along the great highways to the ends of the earth. ‘“After that I must visit Rome.” ‘I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are in Rome also!” And so he prayed that his burning desire might be granted. And his prayer was answered, but in such a startlingly unexpected way. ‘“‘ When we came to Rome the centurion delivered the prisoners,” and Paul was among them! He hoped to enter the Imperial: city an ambassador in glorious freedom; he entered it in bonds. And so the prayer was answered, but it

was answered in a very surprising way. 9 The Apostle arrived in Rome, but such an arrival had never entered into his dreams. He was a prisoner in bonds, but the word of God was not bound; and I suppose that if Paul had never been taken to Rome we should never have had the epistles of the captivity. The Epistle to the Philippians, with all its mellow maturity of spiritual fruits, was born in bondage. And Colossians, with its glorious proclamation of the sole headship and mediatorship of Jesus Christ, ‘was born in the same gloomy servitude. And what rare treasures there are in these and other letters, which we might never have known had the inspired writer always been free! “In my distress Thou hast enlarged me.’ The experience of the Psalmist was surely the experience of the Apostle, and we enjoy the splendid fruit of his enlargement. Paul entered Rome in bonds, but in his bondage he sent forth letters which have enriched the world with infinite blessedness.

So that God may answer our prayers, but the answer may come in a quite extraordinary way. We get where we desire to be, but by God’s own path. It might seem as though it would have been better for everybody if Paul had been in Rome and also been perfectly free. Yes, but I am not so sure that we should have had those immortal letters. What a life Paul would have lived had he been free to do whatever he pleased, and to go wherever he liked! It is notorious that when a man is made a bishop his days become so crowded that it is a rare thing for him to produce his greatest books! And who knows but that if this great Apostle had had more temporary freedom we might have had less permanent fruit. Sometimes the Lord permits our seclusion in order that we may do a larger work. His merciful sight has long range, and that is why our immediate circumstances are often so contradictory to our aspiration and prayer. The Lord looks beyond the temporary bondage to the ultimate freedom.

‘‘ The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.”