Day 380: Positioned by the Lord and at Peace Regardless of the OutcomeActs 22:30
The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
Thoughts for Today:Unable to "beat" a resolution to this issue out of Paul (illegal because Paul was a Roman citizen), instead the Roman commander decided to bring him before the Sanhedrin hopeful that he could thereby get to the bottom of the disturbance. Despite being thoroughly outnumbered, somehow I don't think Paul considered himself to be at a disadvantage. In fact, I believe God had Paul just where He wanted him -- strategically positioned to witness before the crowd.
I personally have been in a number of tight spots as well, yet somehow I wasn't worried. Close friends and family members who were aware of my predicament were amazed at how well I handled the stress. I was calm throughout. I can somewhat relate to Paul from our passage today, because I too felt God was in control despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles before me. I was certain God had already given me the tools I needed (experience) to meet the challenge of my current ordeal, yet I had no idea of how it would ultimately turn out. Why wasn't I worried? Because my trust was in the Lord, not in the notion of worldly justice, and as a result I was at peace regardless of the outcome.
Questions to Ponder:Are you in a particularly tight predicament yourself right now? Perhaps a project at work, a teenager at home testing boundaries, or any of the countless challenges we face while on this earth? Are you worried, losing sleep, and otherwise letting it affect other areas of your life? In my opinion, the majority of stress is caused by obsessive concern over the outcome of an event. Think about that the next time you find yourself awake at night grinding over a problem. Remind yourself of God's promises and that He has prepared you in advance for this particular event. Don't run from it and don't fear the outcome -- whether it works out the way you hoped or doesn't -- it is still God's will. Do you have that much faith? This is the key to peace in all circumstances.
The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
Thoughts for Today:Unable to "beat" a resolution to this issue out of Paul (illegal because Paul was a Roman citizen), instead the Roman commander decided to bring him before the Sanhedrin hopeful that he could thereby get to the bottom of the disturbance. Despite being thoroughly outnumbered, somehow I don't think Paul considered himself to be at a disadvantage. In fact, I believe God had Paul just where He wanted him -- strategically positioned to witness before the crowd.
I personally have been in a number of tight spots as well, yet somehow I wasn't worried. Close friends and family members who were aware of my predicament were amazed at how well I handled the stress. I was calm throughout. I can somewhat relate to Paul from our passage today, because I too felt God was in control despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles before me. I was certain God had already given me the tools I needed (experience) to meet the challenge of my current ordeal, yet I had no idea of how it would ultimately turn out. Why wasn't I worried? Because my trust was in the Lord, not in the notion of worldly justice, and as a result I was at peace regardless of the outcome.
Questions to Ponder:Are you in a particularly tight predicament yourself right now? Perhaps a project at work, a teenager at home testing boundaries, or any of the countless challenges we face while on this earth? Are you worried, losing sleep, and otherwise letting it affect other areas of your life? In my opinion, the majority of stress is caused by obsessive concern over the outcome of an event. Think about that the next time you find yourself awake at night grinding over a problem. Remind yourself of God's promises and that He has prepared you in advance for this particular event. Don't run from it and don't fear the outcome -- whether it works out the way you hoped or doesn't -- it is still God's will. Do you have that much faith? This is the key to peace in all circumstances.
RSS Feed
