December 10, 2012
God has a plan. Pay attention! Follow it! God's Word and his Holy Spirit will guide us. We are responsible to have ourselves in a position where we can hear and understand His guidance, and then submit ourselves to it. No matter what.
Paul thought they should go to Asia—the Holy Spirit said no. Paul thought they should go to Bithynia—the Holy Spirit said no. So, they obeyed and didn't go to those places. They knew what they weren't supposed to do, but they did not yet know what they were to do. So, they put one foot in front of the other while they kept telling God's truth. Finally the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul where he wanted them to go—and they left for Macedonia. And there they met Lydia, a divine appointment arranged by God. The Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying, and she and all the people in her house were baptized.
On this same God-planned trip, Paul and Silas were put in jail. They were on their way to the place where they prayed when a servant girl who was filled with an evil spirit began to follow them shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God. They are telling you how to be saved." She did this over and over for days, taunting and disrupting them. The taunts of Satan are often disguised by using words of truth. However, his motive is never to promote or reveal the truth of God. His motive is to seek, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Finally, Paul turned to the servant girl and said to the spirit, "By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her." (Acts 16:18) And immediately, the spirit came out.
There is no power that can stand against the name of Jesus. None! The owners of the servant girl were very upset. Not because they cared about her, because they didn't care about her at all. They were only using her to make money for themselves. She was their hope for making money and Paul had just taken that away from them, and they were angry. So, they grabbed Paul and Silas and took them to the Roman leaders, seeking revenge against them. They were attacked, stripped of their clothing, beaten with rods, and thrown into jail. But remember! They were exactly where God wanted them to be. Everything they were doing, and everything that was happening to them was happening for one purpose and one purpose alone—to bring honor and glory to God.
They weren't a victim of their circumstances. They were the recipients of a Blessed Event. They were in jail, but they weren't moping, complaining, or upset about their circumstances. They were instead praying and singing praises to God. They had a captive audience—literally. The other prisoners were listening. God wants everyone to hear about Him. How else were the prisoners going to hear?!?
As they were praying and singing, a strong earthquake suddenly shook the very foundation of the jail; the doors were opened; and all the prisoners were freed from their chains. That's what happens when we pray and praise Jesus. The chains fall off and we are no longer bound.
Next Entry: Acts 16:1–40 (Continued)
God has a plan. Pay attention! Follow it! God's Word and his Holy Spirit will guide us. We are responsible to have ourselves in a position where we can hear and understand His guidance, and then submit ourselves to it. No matter what.
Paul thought they should go to Asia—the Holy Spirit said no. Paul thought they should go to Bithynia—the Holy Spirit said no. So, they obeyed and didn't go to those places. They knew what they weren't supposed to do, but they did not yet know what they were to do. So, they put one foot in front of the other while they kept telling God's truth. Finally the Holy Spirit revealed to Paul where he wanted them to go—and they left for Macedonia. And there they met Lydia, a divine appointment arranged by God. The Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying, and she and all the people in her house were baptized.
On this same God-planned trip, Paul and Silas were put in jail. They were on their way to the place where they prayed when a servant girl who was filled with an evil spirit began to follow them shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God. They are telling you how to be saved." She did this over and over for days, taunting and disrupting them. The taunts of Satan are often disguised by using words of truth. However, his motive is never to promote or reveal the truth of God. His motive is to seek, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Finally, Paul turned to the servant girl and said to the spirit, "By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her." (Acts 16:18) And immediately, the spirit came out.
There is no power that can stand against the name of Jesus. None! The owners of the servant girl were very upset. Not because they cared about her, because they didn't care about her at all. They were only using her to make money for themselves. She was their hope for making money and Paul had just taken that away from them, and they were angry. So, they grabbed Paul and Silas and took them to the Roman leaders, seeking revenge against them. They were attacked, stripped of their clothing, beaten with rods, and thrown into jail. But remember! They were exactly where God wanted them to be. Everything they were doing, and everything that was happening to them was happening for one purpose and one purpose alone—to bring honor and glory to God.
They weren't a victim of their circumstances. They were the recipients of a Blessed Event. They were in jail, but they weren't moping, complaining, or upset about their circumstances. They were instead praying and singing praises to God. They had a captive audience—literally. The other prisoners were listening. God wants everyone to hear about Him. How else were the prisoners going to hear?!?
As they were praying and singing, a strong earthquake suddenly shook the very foundation of the jail; the doors were opened; and all the prisoners were freed from their chains. That's what happens when we pray and praise Jesus. The chains fall off and we are no longer bound.
Next Entry: Acts 16:1–40 (Continued)
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