ACTS of the Apostles, Part 2

Thursday, October 13

ACTS of the Apostles, Part 2

Learning How to be Daring and Dynamic

Read Acts 28:23-31

Focus Verses: Acts 28: 30

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

The Jewish leaders were convinced that Paul was a threat to the Jewish religion. So they hunted him down wherever he went; they were relentless. After catching him and accusing him, he ended up being imprisoned in Rome, as we read earlier. But as we’ve seen continually through scripture as we have covered in the book of Acts, we see that God still had work for Paul to do.

Paul was given a very strange prison setup; he was put under house arrest with only one guard. Other than that, Paul was free to have guests over and to continue sharing the message of salvation. Many Roman guards even came to the Lord because of him, spreading the gospel to their friends and families. Plus, here in this house, Paul wrote the books of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians—foundational texts for the early churches and for us. God put Paul in a safe place and gave him plenty of time to meditate, worship, write and preach.

Paul could have been frustrated that he was locked up in a Roman house for two whole years. He could have resented the fact that he couldn’t preach or travel to the churches he had started. Instead of being annoyed that his plans were disrupted, Paul saw the blessings in the barriers. Even if he couldn’t freely go where he want to go, he could still share Christ with any visitors that came to see him. He could still write teaching letters to the churches to encourage them and clarify truths about the gospel. What Paul didn’t know was that those same letters would become part of our Bible and reach billions of people over the next nearly 2000 years.

God is in control of all circumstances. He arranges events and people—good and bad— so that His children can effectively share the gospel right where they are. When our lives seem to fall apart or something we had hoped for didn’t materialize, we can be assured that God is adjusting the circumstances for our benefit and for the furtherment of His Kingdom.

Father, forgive us for when we allow ourselves to get frustrated by interruptions. Forgive us for becoming exasperated when our way forward feels totally blocked. Let us recognize that You have put the barrier in our path and help us to see “the blessings in the barriers” the way Paul did. Let us seek and see what You want us to do even when we are in circumstances that we don’t understand. In Jesus’ name and for the Father’s glory, Amen.