Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 33, Hosea 1, Acts 14-15
Snapshots of God's Workings
Sometimes while reading Scripture it is easy to read right over something spectacular that has happened. Often times God doesn't make a big deal out of something that we would make a big deal over. Case and point: Acts 14:8-10. Paul and Barnabas were ministering in Lystra and a man, crippled from birth was healed. It impressed me that Paul didn't make a big deal about healing the man. As he was preaching he looked out and saw that the man had faith to be healed and he simply called out to him, "Stand up on your feet." That was it. Just "Stand up on your feet." No big demonstration, no casting out of demons, no waving his hands over him, etc., etc. Just, simply, "Stand up on your feet." When you think about it, this was a tremendous miracle. This man had never, ever stood on his feet or walked. His muscles would have been like jelly and atrophied; basically nonexistent. But when Paul told him to stand up he jumped up and began to walk.
The crowd saw this and thought Paul and Barnabas were gods come down in human form and wanted to sacrifice to them. Paul and Barnabas had to stop them. But in the next sentence the crowd turns on them because of the influence of Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and they stoned Paul, drug him outside the city and left him for dead. I personally believe he was dead. "But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city." Acts. 14;20. Again, no big deal. If he wasn't dead, he had to be severely injured. After all, he had been stoned. These weren't little pebbles that had been thrown at him. When they stoned in those days it was with the intent to kill. But the disciples stood around Paul and he just got up and went back into the city. Wow!!
After the church leaders settled the question about whether the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses, they sent church leaders with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch to give them their verdict. Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch to continue preaching and teaching these new believers. After awhile Paul wanted to go back to the other towns where people had come to the Lord. Barnabas wanted to bring along his nephew, John Mark, but Paul didn't think it wise because Mark had deserted them on a previous journey. Acts 13:13. The scripture says they had a sharp disagreement. In other words, they had a fight, a big argument. So they split up: Barnabas took Mark and went one way and Paul took Silas and went another way. God is such a redeemer. Instead of one missionary team going to the various cities, now there were two. What a way to give the devil a black eye. Dissension doesn't come from God but God stepped in and redeemed the situation by multiplying the ministry!! Later Paul was reconciled to Mark. In 2 Tim. 4:11 he tells Timothy, "Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry." And of course, Mark went on to write the Gospel of Mark.
In 2 Chronicles 33 we see another dramatic illustration of God's wonderful forgiveness. Manasseh became king of Judah and instead of following in the footsteps of his father, Hezekiah, he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He rebuilt the high places his father had demolished. He placed altars to other gods in the Temple of the Lord, sacrificed his sons, practiced sorcery and witchcraft. The list of his evil practices goes on and on. The Lord spoke to Manasseh but he paid no attention, so the Lord sent the king of Assyria after him and he was taken captive. This woke Manasseh up and he sought the Lord and humbled himself before the Lord. And this really impresses me: "When he prayed to him (God), the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea." He brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and Manasseh did show true repentance by getting rid of foreign gods, tearing down altars, etc. His prayer and the fact that God was moved by his entreaty is remembered in the record of the kings.
Four different scenarios, but all illustrating how God works through people who are committed to him, the miracles he works in lives, the way he can turn a bad situation around and bring something good out of it and his unlimited capacity to forgive. This should prod us into being more committed to the Lord. Who knows what God will do through you.
Tomorrows Bible Reading - 2 Chronicles 34, Hosea 2, Acts 16-17
Snapshots of God's Workings
Sometimes while reading Scripture it is easy to read right over something spectacular that has happened. Often times God doesn't make a big deal out of something that we would make a big deal over. Case and point: Acts 14:8-10. Paul and Barnabas were ministering in Lystra and a man, crippled from birth was healed. It impressed me that Paul didn't make a big deal about healing the man. As he was preaching he looked out and saw that the man had faith to be healed and he simply called out to him, "Stand up on your feet." That was it. Just "Stand up on your feet." No big demonstration, no casting out of demons, no waving his hands over him, etc., etc. Just, simply, "Stand up on your feet." When you think about it, this was a tremendous miracle. This man had never, ever stood on his feet or walked. His muscles would have been like jelly and atrophied; basically nonexistent. But when Paul told him to stand up he jumped up and began to walk.
The crowd saw this and thought Paul and Barnabas were gods come down in human form and wanted to sacrifice to them. Paul and Barnabas had to stop them. But in the next sentence the crowd turns on them because of the influence of Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and they stoned Paul, drug him outside the city and left him for dead. I personally believe he was dead. "But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city." Acts. 14;20. Again, no big deal. If he wasn't dead, he had to be severely injured. After all, he had been stoned. These weren't little pebbles that had been thrown at him. When they stoned in those days it was with the intent to kill. But the disciples stood around Paul and he just got up and went back into the city. Wow!!
After the church leaders settled the question about whether the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and follow the law of Moses, they sent church leaders with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch to give them their verdict. Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch to continue preaching and teaching these new believers. After awhile Paul wanted to go back to the other towns where people had come to the Lord. Barnabas wanted to bring along his nephew, John Mark, but Paul didn't think it wise because Mark had deserted them on a previous journey. Acts 13:13. The scripture says they had a sharp disagreement. In other words, they had a fight, a big argument. So they split up: Barnabas took Mark and went one way and Paul took Silas and went another way. God is such a redeemer. Instead of one missionary team going to the various cities, now there were two. What a way to give the devil a black eye. Dissension doesn't come from God but God stepped in and redeemed the situation by multiplying the ministry!! Later Paul was reconciled to Mark. In 2 Tim. 4:11 he tells Timothy, "Get Mark and bring him with you because he is helpful to me in my ministry." And of course, Mark went on to write the Gospel of Mark.
In 2 Chronicles 33 we see another dramatic illustration of God's wonderful forgiveness. Manasseh became king of Judah and instead of following in the footsteps of his father, Hezekiah, he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He rebuilt the high places his father had demolished. He placed altars to other gods in the Temple of the Lord, sacrificed his sons, practiced sorcery and witchcraft. The list of his evil practices goes on and on. The Lord spoke to Manasseh but he paid no attention, so the Lord sent the king of Assyria after him and he was taken captive. This woke Manasseh up and he sought the Lord and humbled himself before the Lord. And this really impresses me: "When he prayed to him (God), the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea." He brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and Manasseh did show true repentance by getting rid of foreign gods, tearing down altars, etc. His prayer and the fact that God was moved by his entreaty is remembered in the record of the kings.
Four different scenarios, but all illustrating how God works through people who are committed to him, the miracles he works in lives, the way he can turn a bad situation around and bring something good out of it and his unlimited capacity to forgive. This should prod us into being more committed to the Lord. Who knows what God will do through you.
Tomorrows Bible Reading - 2 Chronicles 34, Hosea 2, Acts 16-17
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
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