Take a moment to read Acts 20:1-12 before reading the devotional below.
Such a great story in today’s passage for so many reasons. But first things first: notice that Luke (the author of Luke and Acts) shifts his writing to use the word “we” for the trip to Troas. This suggests that Luke himself traveled with Paul and the others listed, so we have a firsthand account of the author’s participation in the trip.
Luke, writing as an eyewitness, tells an astounding story of a prayer meeting that extends late into the night. Now, just a suggestion, when you are at a late night prayer meeting in an upper room three stories high with dim lighting, you may not want to sit on an open window ledge. It did not turn out so well for the young man who ended up falling out the window. Notice in verse 9 it says, “to his death” — Luke, who was himself a trained physician, makes the specific point that the boy was dead. This is a resurrection, not a lucky circumstance.
In the kingdom of God earthly rules do not apply. You’re dead? No problem, here’s life. You’re sick? No problem, you’re healed. You need a miracle? No problem, that’s normal in the kingdom of God. Of course you likely know as well as I do that as long as we live on this old earth those rules do apply and the kingdom of God has not fully arrived. 1 Corinthians 13:12 helps us understand that right now we don’t see the full picture, but someday we will. And in that lies our hope.