No obstacles

-



Scripture

When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
(Acts 28:16 NASB)
After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
(Acts 28:17 NASB)
When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.
(Acts 28:23 NASB)
And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him,
(Acts 28:30 NASB)
preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
(Acts 28:31 NASB)

 

Observation


Paul had quite a journey to Rome. The boat trip which should have taken just a few days ended up taking months and months. However, Paul never allowed that to be an obstacle to what he believed God wanted him to do. Finally, after arriving in Rome he was allowed to be under house arrest in his own home. He wasted no time. After his incredible journey, on the third day after he arrived in Rome, he called together the leading Jews. He was ready to be at work and to fulfill the mission to which he believed God had called him. We see that during his entire time of house arrest he never allowed his circumstances to be an obstacle to preaching the good news about Jesus. Instead, he constantly looked for ways in which he could, day in and day out, tell people about what was most important to him.

 

Application


I think about how often we find excuses or obstacles to preaching the good news. We are waiting until the circumstances are just right, or until we see a mighty movement of God, or some kind of miraculous act. Paul never, ever sat around and waited. Instead, Paul was constantly on the move, making the very most of every single circumstance to continue sharing about Christ. Nothing ever seemed to be an obstacle to him, instead, he seemed to turn every obstacle into an opportunity.
That is a great lesson for us today. Obstacles are actually opportunities! What would happen if God's children embraced life in this way? What if we could rejoice in every obstacle which is sent across our paths and then ask God to use us in spite of the obstacles, to make a difference in our world. I know that it's easy to get discouraged and to see the obstacles as more than we can overcome. Within our own power that would be true, but we serve a God who is greater. We serve the same God that Paul served -- a God who takes obstacles and uses them to his glory. The result is that they are not obstacles at all, but can be moments of the revelation of God's grace.

 

Prayer


Lord, please help me to see the obstacles through your eyes! Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more