November 14
November 14
No one—no matter how influential or powerful—can hinder God’s eternal plan.
I fear many of us are shaped more by fear than by faith, no matter how clear our confessional theology might be. We are haunted by anxiety. We live in the shadow of “if-onlys” or “what-ifs.” Many of us live avoidantly or timidly because we are afraid. But the God who is at the center of our theology is awesome in power and authority, and he willingly unleashes both for the sake of his own. Our theology tells us he is always present, always faithful to his promises, and always abundant in mercy. Our theology tells us he is strong when we are weak, wise when we are foolish, and in control when we feel out of control. These truths about God should give us rest and confidence. But in the hallways, bedrooms, family rooms, and vans of everyday life, our lives often seem devoid of God. We worry about the difficulties of this fallen world and things that are out of our control. Meanwhile, God says to us in his word, “I am perfectly good. I am in control. I love you, and my plan of grace for you will never, ever fail.”
In Acts 23 God tells Paul’s story for us in a way that is intentionally self-revealing. God wants us to know him, and he wants us to know that nothing can stop his sovereign plan. These brief words of reassurance to Paul have been preserved for us, so that in moments when we are not sure of what God is doing, our hearts will rest in the unstoppable surety of God’s holy, wise, and gracious plan.
Paul had been hauled before the most powerful religious leaders of his day to explain who he was and what he had been doing. After Paul spoke, this happened: “When the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks” (Acts 23:10). The situation quickly became so violent that Paul had to be whisked away for his own safety. Imagine being in that room—hands sweating, heart pounding, wondering what was going to happen to you next. Paul had a valid reason to be afraid. But the next 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’” (Acts 23:11). God wants his children to take heart, because he has a plan that cannot be thwarted.