DTR. Define The Relationship. Some years ago, I heard about DTR conversations that couples were having. If a relationship was struggling, the couple might have a DTR talk to figure out the nature of their relationship.
If you had a DTR with God, what would you conclude about him? Who is he to you? Describing the visit of the angel, Paul gave us a glimpse of a healthy understanding of his relationship with God. For Paul, God was the God to whom he belonged and whom he served. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminded the people, “You have been bought at a price.”
Just so, God is our God and we are his people. He bought the title deed to our lives through the blood of Jesus on the cross. If we belong to God, then it stands to reason that we will serve him. God also cares enough to communicate with us – not often through an angel, but always through his word. What does God tell us today? “Do not fear.”
Paul learned that God’s purpose for his life was irrevocable and unstoppable. God would cause him to stand before Caesar. As God would protect him from the storm, so he would also protect the lives of all his companions. Not that it would be easy. Just when it looked like all would be fine, Paul told them, “Nevertheless we must run aground on some island.” God’s providence sometimes takes us through shipwrecks. But he gets us safely to shore.
It helps to remember that the God who made the oceans also parted the Red Sea. Our faith tells us that he will fulfill his purpose for our lives. How will our lives work out? Just the way he plans. Even if we find ourselves shipwrecked along the way, God is still working out his plan. Let’s trust him today.
