I have a confession to make. When it comes to working through a Bible reading program such as the G.R.I.P. plan, where the goal is to cover territory and get the big picture view of Scripture, I find certain focuses and styles of writing more engaging than others. While I know and agree with the fact that all Scripture is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16), when I am sitting down to read several chapters at a time I find that some passages just make for more interesting reading than others. While I am sure that poetry and lists of laws or genealogies have their necessary place, I admit that when reading lengthier portions I look forward to the more dramatic, action packed passages of Scripture.
This week’s New Testament portion of our reading falls squarely into that category. It contains action and drama in the extreme. The closing chapters in the Book of Acts continues to chronicle the amazing series of experiences and adventures that began for the Apostle Paul in last week’s readings. Murderous plots, angry mobs, a city wide riot, savage beatings, dramatic arrests, prison sentences, powerful speeches, guest appearances before society’s elite, fearless proclamations, jails cells, violent storms, shipwrecks, heroic actions, life saving rescues, prisoner escapes, venomous snakebites… this passage has it all. Villains and vipers – palace halls and prison cells – disaster and deliverance – convicts and kings. Anyone who says that reading the Bible is boring obviously hasn’t spent much time here.
By all outward appearances the Apostle Paul appears to be snake bit (both figuratively and literally), as a series of seemingly catastrophic events happen to him one right after another. As the story unfolds, though, the end result of this collection of ‘misfortunes’ is that Paul is presented with a series of unprecedented opportunities to be a witness for Jesus Christ. These opportunities spring up in the most unexpected places and with the most unusual audiences, with Paul alternately standing before both the rabble and royalty of humanity (which reminds us once again that God is no respecter of persons and that everyone, from the highest of the high to the lowest of the low, is valued and loved equally by Him. God is truly willing that NONE perish).
Now if we were honest, many of us would admit that we often tend to base our assessment of our walk with God on how the circumstances in our lives are going at any point in time. If all is going well, then 'God is pleased and is blessing me'. If not, then it’s time to start getting serious about our prayer life, asking God to remove these hardships that obviously can’t be His will for us to be experiencing. But sometimes, as is undoubtedly the case here in the concluding chapters of Acts, standing right in the middle of the storm is standing right in the middle of God's will. You see, God is always working with the big picture in mind and in the big picture our comfort and ease are not always at the top of the what's really important priority list. So in this particular situation it’s not that God is insensitive to His servant Paul’s condition. It’s just that Paul will have all of eternity to live a care free existence, but at this particular moment in time in this life God has some important Kingdom work for him to be doing and that work will be best accomplished by Paul getting his hands dirty.
Now Paul shows by his responses that he totally gets this. We don’t see Paul sitting around complaining or feeling sorry for himself as one ‘bad’ thing after another happens to him. He doesn’t get mad at God or allow his faith to be shaken. Rather Paul fully leans into each opportunity, seizing it by the throat, boldly and unashamedly proclaiming Christ to whoever stands behind the next door that God chooses to open.
Pastor Doug touched on the significance of Paul’s life and example in last week’s blog. While inspiring, sometimes the actions of such heroes of the faith as recorded in the Bible seem almost unattainable, don’t they? We need to remind ourselves, though, that Paul was just a man and the same power that enabled him to act so heroically is available to each one of us as well. Each day. Every day. God grant us the faith and the fortitude to fully step into the opportunities that tomorrow will hold.
-Gord Hanson
(Associate Pastor)