Saved from shipwreck only to be bitten by a viper

Acts 28:3  "Paul gathered a pile of brushwood, and as he put it on the fire, a viper driven out by the heat fastened itself on his hand."

The trials and challenges Paul faced were seemingly endless.  After much criticism from Jews, beatings, imprisonment, and sickness, he was now on his way to stand trial before Caesar.  His ship to Italy had been wrecked at sea, but he had been spared in order to continue his journey to Rome. 

Now, when he makes it to dry land, escaping the wreckage at sea, he is bitten by a viper.  At any point along the way, Paul could have thrown up his hands and questioned God's plans.  It seemed that God was simply saving him from one trial in order to subject him to another.  All the while, Paul is staying faithful and obedient to God only to run into more trouble. 

He could have taken all of this as a sign that he wasn't in God's will, and that he should turn around and go elsewhere.  Encountering trouble and roadblocks is not always a sign that God is trying to stop you from doing something.  In trials, God has a greater opportunity to reveal Himself to us.  Sometimes he wants us to persevere and continue to grow in Him before He allows us to arrive at a particular destination.  We may need to grow stronger along the path because of what He has in store for us when we reach the destination.

Trust in God's plan and continue to follow the path He lays before you.  His ways are better than our own, and His path allows us to grow and mature in Him.