Before we
get started, I want you to know that there are some Scripture addresses I have
provided as references in paragraph three.
Don’t think that the words preceding these references actually quote
those verses; they don’t. I provide them
as actual Scripture for your study. They
are some of my favorites, so I hope you’ll look them up.
I almost titled this post, ‘Uncle Paul.’ That’s right, Paul had a family, and we get
to meet one of them in today’s passage. This
week we read the remainder of Acts 23, starting with verse 10. Luke’s words allow us to be a fly on the wall
when, “[that same] following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take
courage, Paul, for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at
Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” (Acts 23:11, Amplified). If we’re truly engaged in Paul’s journey (as I
hope we are), we may be wondering how God was going to make this happen. We’ll see the beginning of this answer today
and continue it in the weeks to come.
Read Acts 23:10-16. And there he is … Paul’s nephew. God had positioned Paul’s nephew to learn
about this plot. We don’t know for sure
how He did it, but we know that He did. The
Bible is full of examples of God positioning the right person @ the right place
@ the right time, and He still operates that way in our lives today. So why don’t we see it? I think it’s because we aren’t looking … even
worse, it’s because we often give credit where credit is NOT due.
Compare the number of times you credit luck or coincidence or random chance or
karma (cringe) or the gods (double cringe) when good things
come your way instead of thanking God for His providence and blessings in your
life. In studying for this lesson, I’ve
wondered how lives would change if our minds instinctively gave God glory in
these times. Being a math teacher by
trade, I always encourage my students to stop and think for themselves before hearing
my take on the solution to a problem. I
encourage you to do the same. Like the
students in my class, your thoughts are every bit as valuable as mine. So how would your life change? Meet me
back here once you’ve come up with your own answer…
My thoughts are ordered as a trickle-down
effect. If my mind instinctively glorified
God for “every good and perfect” thing (Jam 1:17), then my outlook would be one of hopeful expectation (Ps 5:3, Amp). With an outlook
of hopeful expectation, my attitude would be one of sustained gratitude (Ps 118:24). With gratitude marking my attitude, my words would be filled with thanksgiving (1 Thess 5:18), and my actions would be a blessing to those around me (Gal 6:10).
Picking up with verse 17 in Acts 23 (and
continuing through the end of the chapter), you’ll see what happens as a result
of Paul’s nephew’s warning and how God gets Paul started on his journey to
Rome. I’m not saying that Paul’s nephew had
a mind that instinctively glorified God.
(In fact I wonder if his nephew may have actually been among the unbelieving
Jews at that time.) What I am saying is
that God used Paul’s nephew as the right
person at the right place at the right time, and God wants each one of us
to be His right person for someone else, “For we are God’s
[own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that
we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us
[taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them
[living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
Given God’s words to Paul in verse 11 (before
the planned ambush), if Paul’s nephew had kept silent, I have
no doubt that Paul would have made it to Rome, but he would have missed this opportunity
to be a part of the Story. In writing
this, I keep singing a VBS song:
“God made me
a part of His story. I will live all for
His glory – every day and every night. Let’s
all shine and serve. Let’s all live and
love until the whole world knows that Jesus loves them.” (Shine and Serve, Yancy)
“…Who knows
but that you…” Yes, you! “…have come to
the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?”
(Est 4:14).
Now What? Will you ‘live
all for His glory’ today?
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