{"id":1932,"date":"2025-01-22T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T02:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christfellowship.me\/withholdtobehold\/?p=1932"},"modified":"2025-01-21T20:50:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T20:50:02","slug":"day-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christfellowship.me\/withholdtobehold\/2025\/01\/day-17\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 17"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Read Acts 23<\/strong>
Rico Ignace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acts 23:11<\/strong>
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, \u201cTake courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have mostly given up on forcing a tidy life.   Feels like the walk to school back in the old days \u2013 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And fast, too. Cues like \u201cfollowing night,\u201d \u201cnext morning,\u201d \u201cduring the night,\u201d and \u201cnext day\u201d suggest 72 hours of helter-skelter.  Not tidy at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the midst of the muddle, God spoke, \u201cHey, good job, and expect change.\u201d  Not a fix, no righting of ship, nor adjusting of plans.  The message was, you testified here, now testify there.  And what is this \u201ctestify\u201d thing?  Probably living your own God-crafted transformed self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leaving that by the way, instead, let\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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, \u201cGood job; expect change,\u201d a deposit of peace is credited to the accounts of our minds and souls.  Look to be gratefully surprised in untidy days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Listening Prompt<\/strong>:
Everyone has one or more muddles they are dealing with.\u00a0 Pick one.\u00a0 Where are the control issues involved for you?\u00a0 In what ways does it seem out of your hands?\u00a0 Or inconvenient?\u00a0 Lean into the Spirit of God over it.\u00a0 Construct a quiet moment.\u00a0 Count down from 20.\u00a0 Then, ask God, \u201cWhat do You want me to know?\u201d\u00a0
<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Share with us how you have experienced God during this fast!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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