Friday, September 12,
2014, 6:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “In Faithfulness He Leads Me.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 28:11-31 (NASB).
On to Rome
The ship Paul was on as a prisoner ran aground. All the
people on board the ship were brought safely to land, including all the
prisoners. Then they found out that the island they were on was called Malta. The
natives there showed “extraordinary kindness” to those on the ship who had
landed on their island. Paul ended up healing the father of a man named
Publius. After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had
diseases came to him to be cured. As well, the natives of the island showed
Paul and the others great honor and respect, and they supplied them with all
they needed to set sail again. At the end of three months on the island they did
set sail again, and eventually they arrived in Rome.
When Paul and the others arrived in Rome, many followers of
Christ came to meet them. “When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.”
I cried when I read this. I thought about all that Paul had
just been through. Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem on false charges. A plot
to take his life was afoot, so the commander had him transferred to Caesarea.
There he was put on trial before Governor Felix. Two years passed, and then
Felix was succeeded by Festus. Then Paul was on trial before Festus. When
Festus asked Paul if he would be willing to stand trial before him in
Jerusalem, Paul appealed to Caesar. So, Festus said, “To Caesar you will go.”
Some more time passed, and then Paul was placed on a ship
headed to Rome, along with some other prisoners. The winds were against the
ship, so they ran into much difficulty and eventually ran aground in Malta
where they stayed another three months. So, when Paul finally got to his
destination, and he was greeted by his fellow Christians, who had come
distances to see him, he thanked the Lord and he took courage.
Perhaps you can identify. I know I can. I have never traveled
a ship that had difficulty on the waves of the sea and that ran aground, and I
have never been arrested on false charges or held in prison for long periods of
time. Some of you may have. Yet, I do know hardships, trials, persecutions,
rejections, being ostracized, mocked, abandoned, and lied against, etc. I know,
too, what it is like to go long periods of time without much in the way of
genuine Christian fellowship with other believers, and during this time,
suffering much loneliness, hatred, and misunderstandings, and missing those
close friendships of years gone by. And, I also know the joy of those times
when the Lord Jesus sends someone along my way to encourage my heart and to
refresh my spirit, and I am so thankful and I do take courage.
In Rome
When
we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was
guarding him.
After
three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and
when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done
nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered
as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. And when they had
examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for
putting me to death. But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to
Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. For this reason,
therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this
chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” They said to him, “We have neither
received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come
here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. But we desire to hear from
you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is
spoken against everywhere.”
When
they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers;
and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God
and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and
from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the
things spoken, but others would not believe. And when they did not agree with
one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The
Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying,
‘Go
to this people and say,
“You
will keep on hearing, but will not understand;
And
you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;
For
the heart of this people has become dull,
And
with their ears they scarcely hear,
And
they have closed their eyes;
Otherwise
they might see with their eyes,
And
hear with their ears,
And
understand with their heart and return,
And
I would heal them.”’
Therefore
let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the
Gentiles; they will also listen.” [When he had spoken these words, the Jews
departed, having a great dispute among themselves.]
And
he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who
came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
What is standing out to me here, especially in relation to
this song, is how absolutely sovereign God is over every aspect of our lives.
I look at Paul’s life, and I see the hand of God on his life
every step of the way. I think about how God hand-picked Paul for this
assignment, and that he was even preparing him before he was saved. When I read
about how Paul continually reasoned with the Jews and how he tried to persuade
them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, I
realized that God gave Paul all that training, knowledge and experience from
early on in his life for a reason. The reason was that he would be given the
task of trying to convince the Jews that Jesus Christ was indeed their promised
Messiah, and that he was the fulfillment of the prophets.
Also, I think of Paul’s testimony, and how he was a
persecutor of Christians before his conversion, and how he was now on the other
side of that situation in that he was now the one being falsely arrested,
dragged into court, thrown into prison, persecuted and even beaten nearly to
death. Having been on the other side of this situation, I believe he was
perhaps more sympathetic to his persecutors since he had once been in their
shoes. I also believe he was more passionate about them seeing the light of truth,
too, because he knew what it was to be blind, and he knew what it was to see
the light.
Another aspect of this that comes to mind is that, because
Paul was once a murderer of Christians, and he had a past, and now he had come
to Christ, so that he was now an enemy to those who were once his comrades, I
think it gave him greater determination to stay the course. He was not so
easily persuaded or threatened by his opponents, because he was once one of
them, nor was he afraid to be hated or even put to death. He knew the
seriousness of the task before him, and he was willing to endure whatever it
took to get the gospel of salvation out to as many people as possible.
Lastly, what comes to mind is that God had a plan and a
purpose for Paul’s life all through his persecutions, sufferings, beatings,
arrests, imprisonments, crash landings, and length of time and the freedoms he
was given in the various places where he was held prisoner. He used him to
share Jesus Christ wherever he went, and he used him to encourage his brothers
and sisters in Christ, too, through his circumstances, as well as God provided
him with much encouragement. I believe it was during some of these
imprisonments that he wrote some of his letters which we now have as scripture,
and it continues to encourage and strengthen human hearts and preach Jesus as
Savior and Lord nearly 2,000 years later.
Greatly Encouraged
I am greatly encouraged by this lesson today, as I see how
God is reminding me here of how his hand has been upon every aspect of my life,
and that everything he has allowed in my life has been for a purpose. I can see
how all of my life has been training for me for where I am right now.
Several years ago, for instance, I attended a local college
after being away from school for 30 years. I didn’t do so well the first time
through college, so I was not sure how I would do. Though I remember little of
what I learned in those classes, what the Lord Jesus taught me there was that I
could learn, and that helped me to believe that he could teach me things way
beyond what I would have ever imagined I could learn in my life, which has then
been instrumental in helping me to do what I now do.
The Lord Jesus also had me brought up in a church with a
very strong emphasis on holiness and on missions (the same denomination as A.
W. Tozer), so I had a wonderful foundation in the Word of Truth. I was also
blessed with a pastor who was humble before God, who listened to the Lord, and
who walked the walk that he taught. He was a great teacher, and so practical in
how he applied the word of God to our daily lives. He not only taught us the
word, but he taught us how to study the word for ourselves, and how to teach it
to others, too. Yet, I, like Paul, sinned greatly against my Lord, but the Lord
delivered me from those sins. God did not lead me to sin, but because of my
past, I am much more compassionate towards others who sin, and also am much
more passionate about seeing them set free.
And, lastly, I, too, have experienced much rejection,
persecution, difficulties, false accusations, and have been kicked to the curb
more times than should have been because of my faith and testimony for Jesus
Christ, and because of my walk of faith and my obedience to my Lord in being
his servant and witness. Yet, in all of this, or through all of this, the Lord
has been faithful to me in giving me all that I need to keep me going, and for
me to keep pressing forward in sharing his gospel to the ends of the earth. Praise
his name!
In Faithfulness He
Leads Me / An Original Work / March 20, 2013
Based off Various
Scriptures
(Ps. 26:3; 86:11;
91:4-5; 111:7-8; 119:73-76;
Is. 25:1,4&9;
42:6-7; Hos. 2:16-20)
Teach me Your ways,
Lord, and I’ll walk in them.
Give me a pure heart.
I’ll fear Your name.
Your love is always,
ever before me.
Continually I’ll walk
in Your truth.
You will cover me with
feathers.
Under Your wings I’ll
find refuge.
My Lord’s faithfulness
will be my
Comfort and my shield.
The works of His hands
are faithful and just.
Trustworthy are all of
His precepts.
Your hands have made
me, and they have formed me.
Give understanding of
Your commands.
I have put my hope, O
Lord, in Your word.
Your teachings, O Lord,
are righteousness.
Lord, in faithfulness
You have
Afflicted me so I may
learn of
Your unfailing love
and comfort
And Your truthfulness.
You are my husband;
You have betrothed me
In love, compassion
and faithfulness.
O Lord, You are my
God, I’ll exalt You.
In faithfulness You’ve
done wondrous things.
You’ve been a refuge
for those who’re needy;
A shelter in storms;
shade from the heat.
This is the Lord, we
trusted in Him,
Let us be glad and
rejoice
In His salvation which
He
Provided through the
Lamb.
Open the blind eyes;
free all the captives.
Tell them of Jesus:
“Be born again!”
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