Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

Today’s verses carry with them an incredible amount of information. They could easily be overlooked by zipping through another story of Paul and the disciples traveling and encountering trouble, but there are several strong central themes about being a Christ follower that should not be overlooked.

First, we see early in the text that several men warn Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem. They feared he would be put to death for his belief and teachings of Jesus Christ. As we read, we should not fail to notice Paul’s response. In verse 13, Paul says, “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” This is what true faith and commitment look like.

There is a song that says, “The God of Angel armies is always by my side.” This is a truth that should comfort us and give us confidence and strength in any situation. Paul is not afraid of people who persecute or threaten him. He understands the truth that no man can take from him what really matters. A relationship with his Creator. He refuses to hide from what God has called him to do. As of now, where we live, we do not have such a grave threat for speaking about Jesus. But some people in different areas of the world do, and one day I believe even in this country we will be persecuted for following Christ. But fear not Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Second, read carefully verses 27-36. Paul is being beaten by nothing more than an angry mob. It’s a chaotic scene that shows the dangers of a large group of cowardly people who alone do nothing but in masses feel entitled to kill. Not much has changed in people since Paul’s time. There are still angry mobs of people who choose violence over things they believe they are morally correct about. These people literally felt like they were somehow on the side of good for beating and calling for the death of Paul. But the reality is they were evil and were being led by the devil to refuse the message of Jesus Christ. But this incident gives us a chance to see Paul carry out what he already said. Paul wasn’t just full of words; he was a man of action. He walked into a dangerous place fearless knowing he was there to do God’s will. I’m thankful for Paul’s courage and many others just like him, who despite the evil of the world, did not live in fear and stay away from Jesus’ Great Commission message, but instead pushed ahead to spread the good news that there will be a day with no more pain and no more fear.

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Are you prepared to follow Jesus no matter where He leads?
• Take some time to pray that God will not only give you the wisdom to handle whatever you encounter but that He will give you courage to speak up and take action for His perfect will to be done in your life.