Providential Protection!
Being involved in the work of the Lord...especially in the proclamation of the Gospel among unreached peoples, has always been a risky proposition! All throughout the Bible preaching and teaching the Word of God has brought with it two extreme responses! There are those who receive it with joy...and, there are those who reject it with violent contempt. The Word of God always produces a response!
That is what we find here in Acts 14...the Word had been preached in Iconium and the city was divided! Some sided with the Jews in unbelief...and some sided with the apostles in life-giving faith! But things didn't just stop there...in the same way that genuine faith produces good works, genuine unbelief produces evil deeds! Here, the evil works came in the form of an attempt to abuse and stone the apostles! Truly, persecution and suffering are part of the portion of those who will faithfully preach and teach the Word of God among all peoples of all nations!
And, i think that it's this understanding that keeps many of us (including me) from stepping out boldly when faced with an unbelieving audience! Isn't it true that none of us like rejection...especially when accompanied by physical pain! But, in order to fully obey Jesus and fulfill His commands, we must be willing to speak His Word in any situation and among any people!
And here's the cool thing...here's the thing that encourages my heart this morning. As this violent attempt was made by angry unbelievers to abuse and stone the apostles...God allowed for them to be made aware of it! God exposed the evil plan and gave the apostles time to escape and preach the Word elsewhere. I love that about God! While we are not given a free pass from the pain of evil and suffering...if we are about the work of the Lord, He will protect us until it's His time for us to go through it! That means that we should not fear man, nor should we fear what man can do to us! If we will commit to being about preaching and teaching His Word, then He will commit to being about protecting and providing for us! That is what this passage speaks to my heart. As long as God wills for me to be alive, no man, no violent attempt, no wicked scheme can force it's way past God's protective Hands! This makes all of our lives, even suffering and pain, more about God and less about man. Truly, God will protect us...but, even if He allows us to experience pain, it is still ordained by Him and so it's good. It's part of His good plan!
This should be an encouragement to all of us who have given our lives for the sake of the Gospel...especially among those radically opposed to the gospel! If we will be about the Word of God, He will be about caring for us. This gives us a peace to know that even if we are persecuted, mocked, harmed, abused, stoned or killed...God allowed it and so it is part of His good plan. But, if it's not part of God's good plan at that time for us, then nothing or no one can get passed God's protective Hands.
So Father, i commit myself to You again this morning... to speak Your Word boldly, both in preaching and teaching. I commit myself to the ministry of Your Word and commit myself into Your protective care! Thank You for the hope given from Your Word...and, i pray that You would encourage and embolden Your workers in difficult lands to be about the ministry of Your Word knowing that You will be about governing and ruling over the affairs of their lives! Amen!
Created over 2 years ago
