NOT A ROSE GARDEN

READING: ACTS 21, 22, 23

Acts 23:11 – “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome’”

The chapters in the Book of Acts mentioned above describe what happened to Paul as the result of a divine call to Jerusalem. A sampling of his experiences is as follows:
1. His presence resulted in all of Jerusalem coming to be in an uproar.
2. A riot resulted and Paul was arrested.
3. While being arrested, he spoke of Jesus causing another outburst.
4. Paul’s defense of himself before the council resulted in him being removed by force from his trial. Those events were pretty turbulent and intense! They don’t seem to reflect the glory that we tend to associate with a divine call of God. In fact the situation was so extreme that it seems even the rugged and steadfast Paul needed encouragement. Therefore, the Lord Jesus appeared to support him as quoted above. Paul’s experience teaches us that a divine call does not necessarily mean smooth sailing. It can mean severe challenge. When it does, we have the Lord’s assurance just as Paul did. He will grant us good cheer in reward for our faithfulness. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. What can we expect from a divine call of God?

2. What was expected of Paul?