John Bradshaw - The Marathon Walk
Right after Paul restored life to a young man named Uticus, the one who fell asleep while Paul preached, Paul went for a long walk while his companions traveled by ship from Troas to Assos, the Apostle opted to travel by foot.
Acts 20 verse 13, "Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders intending himself to go on foot". He traveled on a paved Roman road, a distance of a little more than 30 miles, meaning he walked longer than a marathon. He passed some landmarks that you can still see today, including a Roman bridge which today is in a field as the river had crossed in Paul's day has since changed courses.
So why the marathon walk? A few verses later, Paul states that the Holy Spirit had impressed him 'that chains and tribulations awaited him, the apostle had realized that his public ministry was effectively over, which couldn't have been easy to take on board. It seems Paul was taking time alone to reflect, time to pray, time to consider what the future would hold for him; you need that sometimes, time with God to really talk things through and not only to talk but also to listen.
When things are busy, look for those quiet times when you and God can really connect; when you're under pressure, you want to enter into the clarity that time alone with God provides. Paul could have traveled by ship with Luke and the others but doing so wouldn't have given him the opportunity to think without distraction; you don't need to walk for 30 miles in order to hear God's voice, but Paul's example suggests to us that time with God when you need time to think things over, is vital; take time with God and take enough time. I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written.