Day 33: Acts 21:27 – 22:21

In this passage, Paul, that often persecuted apostle, finds himself in the middle of trouble once again. The crowd is riled up against him, and once again, the accusations against him are unfounded. The accuser of the brethren, Satan, is not called the father of lies for nothing. He has no qualms about bringing false accusations, misrepresentations, imaginary possibilities, or trumped up circumstances to hinder kingdom advancement. Is it fair? No, but then again, who would expect a liar and a cheat to play fair?

I am amazed when I see believers who are doing good work become so discouraged when something happens to them that is “unfair.” Are we not exhorted in Galatians 6:9: “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season (or at the right time), you shall reap if you faint not.”

We have often heard that we should not put God in a box. Obviously, we couldn’t if we wanted to, but the reference is intended to convey the message that it is impossible to fully define God with respect to how He may choose to do something in a given circumstance. God is not prone to repeat His methodologies.

For example, who would have guessed that Jericho would be taken the way it was? We could look at miracle after miracle in the Old and New Testaments, and give numerous examples of God doing something MUCH different than we would have expected. He delights in being innovative, creative, and unpredictable with respect to how He may act. It is a demonstration of His limitless abilities, and a lesson to show us that He always has a unique solution to our problems.

Our role in this relationship is not to figure out how God may work, but to simply trust that He will.

Philippians 4:19: “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.” We are often unaware of what exactly our needs may be at the moment, but God always knows what we have need of. Not only does He know, but He has made provision for us. This beautiful provision requires us to continually lean on Him as our source, and in faith to live the life He asks of us.

When we examine today’s reading by itself, we may not perceive how this is going to work out well for Paul. But wait! And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) “ALL THINGS”. 

We discover in later chapters that God is using these circumstances to set Paul up for another journey of great importance. Paul is to be an ambassador for God elsewhere, and this passage is when God is using the “things” of Paul’s life to bring about a greater purpose. What do we find Paul doing in the midst of his trials? Complaining? No, he is simply giving his testimony. We could do that too, couldn’t we?

Paul said this in Ephesians 3:13-21:  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.

Let me leave you with this quote (author unknown):

“If we let Him, God will turn

a mess into a message;

a test into a testimony;

a trial into a triumph; and

a victim into a victor.”