Scripture:
Acts 23:11 "But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome".
Observation:
Paul had just spent the day before the San Hedrin being accused of all kinds of things he hadn't tried to do. The crowd wanted to kill him and the guards had to save him and put him in barracks to protect him from the people who wanted to kill him. Jesus shows up that night and says "be of good cheer". Then he tells him he has to do this again in Rome. You would think the Lord would comfort him and tell him everything was going to get better, which is what we all want to hear the Lord telling us. Paul is a good soldier who received his orders, good and bad.
Application:
It seems today that if anything negative happens in our lives that we feel it is not the Lord's will. If people don't like us we think God must not be blessing our ministry. Paul walks through an unbelievable life of pain sorrow, frustration, abuse, and the Lord tells him "be of good cheer" you get to do this again in Rome. He is realizing at this point he is going to jail in Rome and never steers away from it, rather wants it to happen. Paul had determined to follow Jesus to the end! We need to have that same determination and follow our Lord dilligently, when it feels good and when it doesn't.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to follow Your voice to the end of my life. Help me not to focus ont he temporal, but the eternal. Help me keep my focus obedience to Your voice and fulfilling You calling upon my life. Help me not to be frustrated when people don't like me, but to know You like me. Help me not to equate blessing with no problems.
I love you Lord,
Jeff
No comments:
Post a Comment