ACTS of the Apostles, Part 2

Thursday, September 22

ACTS of the Apostles, Part 2

Learning How to be Daring and Dynamic

Read Acts 23:23-35

Focus Verses: Acts 23:23-24

Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. And provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he fully expected to be arrested on sight, imprisoned, and sentenced to death, but God had other plans. Yes, he was arrested based on the accusations of the religious leaders. He was imprisoned. But what Paul didn’t know was that God was working behind the scenes!

Claudius Lysias, a commander in the Roman army, discovered that Paul, a Roman citizen, had been imprisoned and that there was an angry group of religious leaders planning to kill him. Claudius checked into the charges and found that Paul had been accused of a religious offense, but that he had not broken any Roman law. Claudius was furious that a Roman citizen had been imprisoned over nothing and that his life was in danger so he immediately sent orders to remove Paul from the prison in the dead of night and taken to the governor. He had 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen ensure Paul’s safety during the trip. He even wrote a letter to Governor Felix explaining the situation and insisting that Paul be granted a hearing. In the meantime, Paul was to be safely kept in Herod’s praetorium (guarded at the governor’s own residence).

Paul thought that going back to Jerusalem was a death sentence, but God wasn’t finished with him yet. We will never know how many people heard Paul during the time of the hearing that later became Christians. When everything seems to go wrong and we end up in an unwanted situation, we shouldn’t despair or get frustrated. Instead, we should look to God and ask Him how He wants to use us. God puts us in different situations so that we can reach someone we would otherwise never have met.

Dear Lord, Please forgive us for the times when we find ourselves in frustrating and challenging situations and "lose faith". It’s so easy to forget that You are using EVERY circumstance to accomplish Your will, even the obstacles we face. Show us what you are trying to accomplish in each situation. Make us more and more sensitive to Your Holy Spirit so that we can align ourselves with Your will. In Jesus’ name and for the Father’s glory.