Read Acts 23
Rico Ignace
Acts 23:11
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
I have mostly given up on forcing a tidy life. Feels like the walk to school back in the old days – uphill both ways. In just such a pickle do we find our boy Paul in Acts 23: hauled to an unpleasant trial, smacked in the face, Paul’s intentional triggering of a testy argument between two factions (inspired or mischievous, I cannot tell), extracted by soldiers, returned to detention, the object of a murder plot, narrow escape, and finally transferred, during the night no less, to some governor.
And fast, too. Cues like “following night,” “next morning,” “during the night,” and “next day” suggest 72 hours of helter-skelter. Not tidy at all.
In the midst of the muddle, God spoke, “Hey, good job, and expect change.” Not a fix, no righting of ship, nor adjusting of plans. The message was, you testified here, now testify there. And what is this “testify” thing? Probably living your own God-crafted transformed self.
Leaving that by the way, instead, let’s acknowledge the upside that our boy was never really expected to be in control. In the hands of antagonists, it was a third-party military officer who had the bearing and authority to shield Paul’s life. In the face of a plot to bump him off, it was a family member who had the concern and commitment to safeguard his uncle.
Personally, I like tidy. It speaks of comfort, as in life circumstances. But control is draining, whereas peace has a way of carrying the day. One day at a time. As God speaks, “Good job; expect change,” a deposit of peace is credited to the accounts of our minds and souls. Look to be gratefully surprised in untidy days.
Listening Prompt:
Everyone has one or more muddles they are dealing with. Pick one. Where are the control issues involved for you? In what ways does it seem out of your hands? Or inconvenient? Lean into the Spirit of God over it. Construct a quiet moment. Count down from 20. Then, ask God, “What do You want me to know?”
