Journeys have Unexpected Moments

Photo by Dan Cederholm

Scripture: Acts 14:5

And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them,

Insights: I was hiking my way up to Rocky Top and I was coming around a fairly tight switch back. I startled something and it created such a sound I about had a heart attack.  From my vantage point I could not see what was on the other side of this switch back, but all of this noise was coming my way and rapidly.  I thought a bear was about to maul me.  What it turned out to be as it flew just past me was a wild turkey and at that point in my life I was unaware of the noise they could make.  For that matter I did not know they could even fly.  I was completely surprised by the event and I really thought my heart was going to jump right out of my chest.  Let me turn to our verse for the day.  Yesterday we learned Paul and Barnabas had been in this town for some time.  I think they thought they had finally found a town in which they were not going to be persecuted and then we come to today’s verse.  The rulers began to make a plot in which they were going to stone Paul and Barnabas and I have a sense they were surprised by this sudden change in temperament in this town.  In our journey of faith there are going to be surprises.  We are going to be going on our merry way with the Lord and all of a sudden Satan is going to throw a wrench into our work and mess it all up.  Often times when he does this dastardly work we are not prepared or ready for it and we are caught off guard—we are surprised.  Beloved, I think part of the reason the Lord allows these moments to occur is to create a dependence in our lives on Him.  He does not want us to be self-sufficient and these surprising moments have a way of turning us toward the Lord.  I am not certain we will ever get used to the surprises, but we can grow to the point we understand they are going to come in our lives.  We can also get to the point when they do come that we quickly turn it over to the Lord.

Questions:

1. What are some things that have surprised you in your faith journey?

2. Have you come to a place in your walk with the Lord were you are more tolerant of the unexpected?

Prayer: Father, I like things to be ordered and ordered to the way I like them.  You, however, are the One truly in charge and You orchestrate events to make me more dependent on You.  Help me to learn this lesson. Amen.

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