“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 334:19). Sovereign King, we praise you for your providential hand that rules each of our lives. We ask for your deliverance from the storms of life. May we be strengthened and you glorified through life’s trials.

Today’s Hymn

Words: The Psalter, 1912. Music: Ripley, arranged from a Gregorian chant by Lowell Mason, 1839.

HALLELUJAH, PRAISE JEHOVAH
Click here for tune.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
Nor for help on man depend;
He shall die, to dust returning,
And his purposes shall end.

Happy is the man that chooses
Israel’s God to be his aid;
He is blest whose hope of blessing
On the Lord his God is stayed.
Heaven and earth the Lord created,
Seas and all that they contain;
He delivers from oppression,
Righteousness He will maintain.

Food He daily gives the hungry,
Sets the mourning prisoner free,
Raises those bowed down with anguish,
Makes the sightless eyes to see.
Well Jehovah loves the righteous,
And the stranger He befriends,
Helps the fatherless and the widow,
Judgment on the wicked sends.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Over all God reigns forever,
Through all ages He is King;
Unto Him, thy God, O Zion,
Joyful hallelujahs sing.

Thought Provoker

A few days ago I stopped by the hospital to visit one of our church elders and his wife who had just delivered their eighth child. As little Katherine Victoria lay in her hospital crib, I was reminded that God was launching this little rosy cheeked blessing into the sea of life. I’ve always liked the metaphor of life being like a journey on a sailing ship. As you leave the harbor at birth, God has an eternal destiny that He has foreordained for your life. Some journeys are short and some are long. Some end in the harbor of God’s Kingdom, others end up eternally shipwrecked. Along the journey there are seasons of fair weather as well as sudden, powerful storms that blow in without warning. Many storms will rock your life. Perhaps you are going through one today. Discuss with your family the variety of storms that can suddenly appear on the horizon. These storms come in all varieties and levels of intensity. There are financial, health, family, and legal winds that blow hard against your life. Today the Apostle Paul finds himself facing such a storm in Acts 27. He is on a boat that is about to be destroyed in a storm. One of the principles that comes from his experience is that you can be in the center of God’s will and the center of a storm at the same time! Paul is also going to give us some practical lessons on how to come through such storms for the glory of God!

Dad’s Study

After appealing his case to Caesar, Paul was sent to Rome on a ship (Acts 27:1-8). You will want to read all the exciting details of his voyage to your family. The trip was dangerous from the beginning. Paul warned the crew early about the upcoming dangers (verses 9-12). Rather than stopping during the stormy, winter season at the town of Fairhaven, they decided to continue. No sooner had they left the harbor and set sail on a fair day in October, than a huge storm blew in (verse 13-20). They did all that they could to keep the boat from coming apart. Since neither the sun nor stars appeared for days, they were unable to navigate, and they drifted, lost in the Mediterranean Sea. Everyone on board was close to giving up all hope for survival when God miraculously intervened. An angel appeared to Paul, telling him not to be afraid. Although the ship would be destroyed, every life on board would be saved. God has promised that he would stand before Caesar, therefore God will grant you and all aboard safety. Paul announced this message to the crew and began to take charge of the ship (verses 21-26)!

Here comes one of the main lessons from this chapter. Although God sovereignly does all that He purposes and promises to do, man’s actions are frequently the means through which He works out His plan. Paul could have curled up on deck, gone to sleep, and waited for God to safely usher all safely ashore. Instead, Paul took charge of the ship and did all within His means for God to further God’s promise of safety.

Read together verses 27-44 and make a list of all that Paul and the crew actively did in furtherance of God’s promise of safety. They began by casting out their anchors (verse 29); staying on board (verse 31-32); eating food for strength (verses 33-36); throwing their cargo overboard (verse 38); pulling up the anchors and hoisting up a sail (verse 40); swimmers jumping overboard and swimming to shore (verse 43); and the rest of the crew were to hold on to planks and float to safety (verse 44). Just like God had promised, all 276 men were providentially spared by God!

Paul was in the center of God’s will and in the center of the storm at the same time. Sometimes God brings storms into your life because, like Jonah, you are running from His will. Other times, like Paul, you can be obediently obeying God’s will and still be rocked by storms. It is through the storms that God wants you to persevere. Storms strengthen faith! Storms bring glory to God!

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Man’s actions are the means through which God normally works out His sovereign plan and promises. God’s announced purpose never cancels your activity in that direction.

• God purposes and promises salvation and yet he tells you to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).
• God promises to meet your daily needs and yet he warns that if you do not work neither will you eat (2 Thes. 3:10).

May we not forsake our human responsibility in the furtherance of God’s divine promises.

Catechism

Question 60

Q. Which is forbidden in the eighth commandment?

A. The eighth commandment forbids whatever does or may unjustly hinder our own (1 Tim. 5:8; Prov. 28:19, Prov. 21:6) or our neighbour’s wealth, or outward estate (Eph. 4:28).

“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works” (Psalm 26:7). Merciful Father in heaven, we thank you this day for your infinite kindness towards us. Remind our hearts of your many acts of kindness. Grace us with hearts that are full of holy appreciation.

Today’s Hymn

Words: The Psalter, 1912. Music: Ripley, arranged from a Gregorian chant by Lowell Mason, 1839.

HALLELUJAH, PRAISE JEHOVAH
Click here for tune.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
Nor for help on man depend;
He shall die, to dust returning,
And his purposes shall end.

Happy is the man that chooses
Israel’s God to be his aid;
He is blest whose hope of blessing
On the Lord his God is stayed.
Heaven and earth the Lord created,
Seas and all that they contain;
He delivers from oppression,
Righteousness He will maintain.

Food He daily gives the hungry,
Sets the mourning prisoner free,
Raises those bowed down with anguish,
Makes the sightless eyes to see.
Well Jehovah loves the righteous,
And the stranger He befriends,
Helps the fatherless and the widow,
Judgment on the wicked sends.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Over all God reigns forever,
Through all ages He is King;
Unto Him, thy God, O Zion,
Joyful hallelujahs sing.

Thought Provoker

Discuss this question with your family: If a friend of yours asked you what he must do to be saved, how would you answer him? This is a very important question. It is one that if you answered incorrectly could lead a person into a pathway that leads to destruction, rather than eternal life. It is common today to reduce the message of salvation to, you must ask Jesus into your heart. There is a desire to make the Gospel simple for little children to understand. However, the message of salvation can be reduced to the point where it no longer has any content. I have been told that the human body is 60% water. That means that if the other 40% of it were removed, we would not longer be people, rather puddles of water waiting to evaporate. Although asking Jesus into your heart is simple, it is not the message that anyone preached in the Bible. What must you do to be saved? Let’s look at Acts 26 and see the message that the Apostle Paul preached.

Dad’s Study

As we saw yesterday, Paul was brought by Governor Festus, before King Agrippa, so that the King might hear what Paul had to say about Christianity. In verse 20, Paul told King Agrippa the message that he had been preaching in Damascus, Jerusalem, and the coasts of Judea. Read this verse together and see if your family can find the three things Paul preached.

1. Repent.
Here is a missing element from many Gospel presentations. We are saved from our sins. God calls all to repent of their sins (Acts 17:30). What does it mean to repent? Repentance literally means to change one’s mind. It means to change your mind about sinning. It springs forth from a sorrow for breaking God’s law (2 Cor. 7:10), and it results in a turning away from your evil ways. Repentance is not a work of man. You cannot make yourself repent. It is a gift of God (2 Tim. 2:24). How important is repentance? Jesus said, I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3). See also – Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 20:21 and 1 John 3:9

2. Turn to God. Salvation is conversion.
It is God turning us around. Therefore, He turns us away from our sins, by repentance, and turns us to God, through faith. Although Paul does not go into detail before King Agrippa, it is clear from God’s Word that we turn to God through faith in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is trusting in the truth of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. It is trusting in Jesus, the Son of God, and His death on the cross as full payment for your sins (Rom. 4:25; John 13; 3:16; Rom. 10:9). Because salvation is all of grace, even our faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9).

3. Do Works Meet for Repentance.
Salvation is trusting in Christ as Lord as well as Savior. He is a king that must be obeyed (Rom. 10:9). Although you are not saved by doing good works, when God does save you He changes you so that you do good works as fruit of His salvation. There is no real faith without good works. The Reformed formula is We are justified by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. James declared that faith without works is dead (James 2:18-24).

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Here is a true-false test for your family. See how they do.

1. Works = salvation (false)
2. Faith + Works = salvation (false)
3. Faith = salvation – works (false)
4. Faith = salvation = works (true)

Ask each member of your family if this is the Gospel they received. Remember the points of Paul’s message the next time God should give you the opportunity to declare His Gospel.

Catechism

Question 60

Q. Which is forbidden in the eighth commandment?

A. The eighth commandment forbids whatever does or may unjustly hinder our own (1 Tim. 5:8; Prov. 28:19, Prov. 21:6) or our neighbour’s wealth, or outward estate (Eph. 4:28).

“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me” (Psalm 3:5). Thank you Lord for a good night’s rest and for a new day to bring glory to your name!

Today’s Hymn

Words: Anne Steele, Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, 1760. Music: Tallis’ Ordinal, Thomas Tallis, circa 1567.

FATHER OF MERCIES, IN THY WORD
Click here for tune.

Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.

Here may the wretched sons of want
Exhaustless riches find;
Riches above what earth can grant,
And lasting as the mind.

Here the fair tree of knowledge grows
And yields a free repast;
And richer fruits than nature shows
Invite the longing taste.

Amidst these gloomy wilds below,
When dark and sad we stray,
Here beams of Heaven relieve our woe,
And guide to endless day.

Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshment find.

Here the Redeemer’s welcome voice
Spreads heavenly peace around
And life and everlasting joys
Attend the blissful sound.

Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.

Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
O grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.

Thought Provoker

Several years ago, a Mormon Temple was dedicated in nearby Billings, Montana. Our church published a Gospel newspaper, which we passed out to thousands of visitors to the temple. One of the men in our church, whose name just happens to be Paul, took several of the papers to his place of employment, where he left them in the lounge, along with the other magazines and newspapers. One of the Mormon employees filed a complaint with the company, alleging that he had been discriminated against. He complained that our newspaper had violated his constitutional rights. Paul was brought before his immediate boss, who, after reading the paper for himself, told Paul that he could not witness any more on the job site. Paul told his supervisor that he had to obey God rather than man when it came to witnessing. He appealed the decision to the next level of management, who also had to read through the Gospel paper. Each time there was a restriction on his freedom to preach God’s Word, he appealed to a higher authority. Finally, he appealed their decision to Houston, Texas, the home of the corporate office. Copies of the newspaper were sent to the corporate lawyers, human resource officers, and others top executives. The final decision limited Paul’s freedom to leave Gospel literature in the lounge, but the company affirmed his right to speak and witness to individuals. Paul’s appeal to Houston was much like the Apostle Paul’s appeal to Rome in today’s chapter. As the charges against him were sent up the legal channels, more and more people were given an opportunity to hear the Gospel of grace. Although man persecutes the Gospel messenger, God uses that persecution to spread the Gospel even further!

Dad’s Study

For about three chapters Paul is being legally bounced around from one official to another. What began with a riot, resulted in Paul preaching to the very crowd that was trying to kill him. We saw yesterday in chapter 24 how God then granted Paul an opportunity to preach the Gospel to Felix (the governor) and his wife (Acts 24:24). He put the matter off to another day. Paul was imprisoned for two years. Festus replaced Felix as Governor of Judea. King Agrippa of Chalcis, a small kingdom north of Galilee, paid a courtesy call on the new governor. Festus was glad to see him because he knew Agrippa was a student of the Jewish religion and could help him understand Paul. God providentially gathered, Festus, Agrippa, and his mistress to sit in on a hearing with Paul. God graced him with another opportunity to preach the Gospel to both of these political leaders. Festus concluded that Paul was out of his mind (Acts 26:24). Agrippa, on the other hand, was almost persuaded (Acts 26:30). Paul appealed his case to the highest court of the land ñ Rome. His petition was granted and Paul was sent to Rome to appeal to Caesar (acts 25:12). Again, we will see that God gave Paul more opportunities to preach the Gospel where it would have never been preached, in Rome, and even in route!

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

At the hands of the persecutors, God was sovereignly doing two wonderful things. First, He was fulfilling His prophecy, in the life of Paul, that he would be a witness to kings. Secondly, persecution just spreads the Gospel further and further. Perhaps you have never received this kind of opposition. Could it be because you have not been faithful in proclaiming the Good News to those around you? When the Gospel is preached, expect opposition. The next time someone tries to restrict you from proclaiming the Gospel of grace, appeal it to Rome, or Houston, or whoever else stands above you, and watch how God provides new opportunities for others to hear His Good News!

Catechism

Question 59

Q. Which is the eighth commandment?

A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me (Psalm 77:1). O heavenly Father, we praise you as the God who gives ear to our prayer requests. Hear our voices this day as we draw near unto Thee.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719.

Who so much as they could realize the full meaning of the poet’s words? For they had been rescued from the darkness of heathenism and cannibalism and they were that day met for the first time under a Christian constitution, under a Christian king, and with Christ Himself reigning in the hearts of most of those present. That was indeed Christ’s kingdom set up in the earth.

JESUS SHALL REIGN
Click here for tune.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Behold the islands with their kings,
And Europe her best tribute brings;
From north to south the princes meet,
To pay their homage at His feet.

There Persia, glorious to behold,
There India shines in eastern gold;
And barb’rous nations at His word
Submit, and bow, and own their Lord.

To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.

Blessings abound wherever He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blessed.

Where He displays His healing power,
Death and the curse are known no more:
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.

Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen!

Great God, whose universal sway
The known and unknown worlds obey,
Now give the kingdom to Thy Son,
Extend His power, exalt His throne.

The scepter well becomes His hands;
All Heav’n submits to His commands;
His justice shall avenge the poor,
And pride and rage prevail no more.

With power He vindicates the just,
And treads th’ oppressor in the dust:
His worship and His fear shall last
Till hours, and years, and time be past.

As rain on meadows newly mown,
So shall He send his influence down:
His grace on fainting souls distills,
Like heav’nly dew on thirsty hills.

The heathen lands, that lie beneath
The shades of overspreading death,
Revive at His first dawning light;
And deserts blossom at the sight.

The saints shall flourish in His days,
Dressed in the robes of joy and praise;
Peace, like a river, from His throne
Shall flow to nations yet unknown.

Thought Provoker

In Matthew 7:6 Jesus said that we are not to cast our pearls before swine. What did he mean by this statement? Matthew Henry, in his commentary, had this to say about the application of this command of Jesus’: As every man is not to be a reprover, so every offender is not the proper subject of reproof. These here spoken of as dogs and swine, may be considered as hardened scorners, licentious or covetous professors, fierce and cruel opposers, or open apostates…. Yet we must be very cautious whom we condemn as such, and only do it upon full evidence.

In Acts 24 Paul puts this principle into action.

Dad’s Study

After being moved to Caesarea under Roman guard, Paul has the opportunity to face his accusers before Felix. The Jews accusing Paul lie to Felix and appeal to him with false flattery, trying to win him over to do their bidding (verses 2-9). Paul makes his defense in verses 10-23, and Felix puts the matter off until later. Several days later Felix, with his wife Drusilla, calls for Paul and listens to him speak about Jesus Christ, without his accusers present.

Question: What kind of man was Felix, and what motivated him to entertain Paul and the Gospel?

The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary says this about Felix, “Tacitus said of him that ëhe reveled in cruelty and lust, and wielded the power of a king with the mind of a slave.’ He began his career as a procurator of Judea by seducing Drusilla, the sister of Agrippa II, and wife of the king of Emesa and marrying her.”

What motivated such a man as this to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Verse 26 tells us that it was not because of any real desire for the truth, but greed; he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul. Verse 27 tells us that he would call for Paul often and converse with him. In our humanness we would say that surely this is one Christ was speaking of when he said not to cast our peals before swine, yet Paul patiently witnessed the grace of the Gospel to him for over 2 years.

Question: What was the message Paul preached to Felix, and what effect did it have on him?

Verse 25 says that the message consisted of 3 points:

1. Righteousness
2. Self-control
3. The judgment to come

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Paul addresses the Gospel directly to the heart of a hardened, licentious, and cruel oppressor. He meets Felix where he is at, exposing his sin through the preaching of righteousness (Dan. 4:27), exhorting him to exercise self-control (Rom. 6:12), and warning him of the judgment to come (Heb. 9:27). The truth frightened Felix, causing him to send Paul away so that his sin was not before him. The conviction that came upon Felix did not produce, the sorrow that is according to the will of God, that produces repentance, but the sorrow of the world that produces death (2 Cor. 7:10).

Catechism

Question 58

Q. Which is forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts (Mat. 5:28; Col. 4:6), words (Eph. 5:4; 2 Tim. 2:22), and actions (Eph. 5:3).

“Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins” (Psalm 7:9). Father in heaven, try our hearts today and reveal to us whether our faith in Thee is real. If we be found real, establish our lives to be holy before Thee.

Today’s Hymn

Words: From Fourscore and Seven Psalms of David (Geneva, Switzerland: 1561); attributed to William Kethe. Music: Old 100th, attributed to Louis Bourgeois in Fourscore and Seven Psalms of David.

ALL PEOPLE THAT ON EARTH DO DWELL
Click here for tune.

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make;
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.

O enter then His gates with praise;
Approach with joy His courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless His Name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

For why? the Lord our God is good;
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.

To Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
The God Whom Heaven and earth adore,
From men and from the angel host
Be praise and glory evermore.

Thought Provoker

Acts 21 ended in a cliffhanger! A riot in Jerusalem broke out when rumors began to spread that Paul had defiled the temple by taking a Gentile into it. They grabbed Paul, drug him out of the temple, and began to beat him to death! However, the Roman soldiers arrived just in time! They arrested him, put him in chains, and drug him away as the crowds shouted out, Away with him! Not fearing man, Paul asked the soldiers if he could address the mob. After receiving permission to speak, he looked into the eyes of the angry mob and began to say…(Acts 21:30-40). That’s it! That’s how the chapter ends! In today’s chapter Paul is going to teach us an important lesson on evangelism as we discover Paul’s message to an angry mob.

Dad’s Study

Paul utilized one of the most powerful forms of witness — the personal testimony. This is one message every Christian can give at a moment’s notice. A personal testimony is a simple, brief account of how Jesus saved you. You are the world’s greatest authority on that subject. As we are going to see from Paul’s testimony, a personal testimony should be expressed in three tenses from the point of your conversion – past, present and future. The past is a brief description of what your life was like before God bestowed His grace upon you. This is a description of the old you. The second part of a personal testimony is the present tense, i.e. the events surrounding your conversion. This includes what God used to bring His Gospel to you and the truth about the person and work of Jesus Christ that He caused you to place your trust in. The final tense of a personal testimony is the future. This covers the part of your life since your conversion. When God saves and the Holy Spirit indwells, you become a new person and your life radically changes. Your priorities, affections, goals, and conduct all change. Let’s hear Paul’s testimony in three tenses.

1. Past (verses 1-5). Paul told the crowd that before he was saved he was born in Tarsus and was taught by the great rabbi, Gamaliel. He confessed that he was so full of zeal that he personally tracked down Christians to bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.

2. Present (verses 6-16). Paul went on to describe the powerful events that God used to sovereignly save him from his sins. God arrested Paul. He stopped him in his tracks with a bright blinding light. God directed him to Damascus where Ananias told him to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be baptized.

3. Future (verses 17-21). Paul then began to tell about an episode that occurred about three years after his conversion when he returned to Jerusalem. In a vision Jesus told him that the Jews would not accept his message and he was sent to preach to the Gentiles. Paul couldn’t finish describing all the ways God had changed his lives because the crowd became angry and cried out, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live (verse 22).

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Paul faithfully and powerfully preached his testimony, yet Scripture makes no mention of God saving any within the angry mob. However, his preaching was not in vain. Nearly 2,000 years later a young law student in Chicago was pricked in the heart after reading Paul’s testimony in this chapter. I look forward to eternally thanking him for His redeeming grace in my life.

Has God brought His saving grace to each member of your family? Can each of you tell your personal testimony? Have each member of your family break down their unique story of God’s grace into three tenses. Pray for an opportunity to declare your testimony with a lost person.

Catechism

Question 57

Q. Which is the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

“He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour” (Psalm 112:9).

O Giver of life and breath and your very self, help us in our weakness to glorify Thee by making us cheerful givers to all that have need.

Today’s Hymn

Words and Music: Martin Luther, 1529; translated from German to English by Elizabeth Wordsworth, 1891.

GOD IS A STRONGHOLD AND A TOWER
Click here for tune.

God is a Stronghold and a Tower,
A Help that never faileth,
A covering Shield, a Sword of power,
When Satan’s host assaileth.
In vain our crafty foe
Still strives to work us woe,
Still lurks and lies in wait
With more than earthly hate;
We will not faint, nor tremble.

Frail sinners are we: naught remains
For hope or consolation,
Save in His strength Whom God ordains
Our Captain of salvation.
Yes, Jesus Christ alone
The Lord of hosts we own,
God ere the world began,
The Word-made-flesh for man,
Still conquering, and to conquer.

Though fiercely strive the hosts of ill
Within us, and around us,
With fiendish strength, and fiendish skill,
Yet ne’er may they confound us.
Man’s night of dark despair,
When storm clouds fill the air,
In God’s triumphal hour,
The noonday of His power,
One word, and He prevaileth.

Our Father’s truth abideth sure;
Christ, our Redeemer, liveth;
For us He pleads His offering pure,
To us His Spirit giveth.
Though dear ones pass away,
Though strength and life decay,
Yet loss shall be our gain,
For God doth still remain
Our All-in-all forever.

Thought Provoker

What do you do when you receive conflicting directions? Recently I asked my son Paul to dig some post holes in the back yard. Shortly thereafter I saw him out in the yard mowing the lawn. When I asked him why he wasnít digging the holes he replied that his mother had asked him to mow the lawn. It’s not unusual to receive conflicting directions at school, work, or in the home. What do you do if you receive what appears to be conflicting directions from God? How do you know God’s will? This is the position in which the Apostle Paul finds himself in today’s chapter.

Dad’s Study

In Acts 19 God directed Paul, through the Spirit, to go to Jerusalem and then to Rome (Acts 19:21). In obedience to the Lord’s directions, Paul began his long journey back to Jerusalem. However, when he landed in Tyre he was told by the believers there, who spoke through the Spirit, that he was not to go to Jerusalem (verse 4). Paul left Tyre and continued on his journey to Jerusalem. When he arrived at Caesarea a well-know prophet of God by the name of Agabus, took Paul’s belt from his waist and bound his own hands and feet. He then told Paul that the Holy Spirit told him that if he (Paul) continued to go to Jerusalem the man who owned the belt (Paul) would be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles. In fact, those who were traveling with Paul, and those at Caesarea, joined together and begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem (verse 12).

Discuss: What do you do when God speaks to you and directs you to go to Jerusalem and then along the way God speaks to others about the terrible events that will happen to you when you arrive? What do you do when your closest Christian friends advise you not to go?

Read verse 14 and see how Paul resolved conflicting directions.

Discuss: Was Paul being stubborn and disobedient to God by continuing on his collision course to Jerusalem?

Some Bible commentators see Paul as being disobedient by continuing to Jerusalem. Some have even accused him of having a martyr’s complex. There is not a hint from Scripture that he was acting in disobedience. In fact, the evidence is to the contrary.

1. God called him to be a witness to Kings (Acts 9:15). Paul’s arrest would take him before King Agrippa II (Acts 26) and later to be Caesar’s prisoner in Rome for two years.
2. During his imprisonment he wrote three books of the New Testament known as the prison epistles, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.
3. God confirmed his decision with these words, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11).

God’s purpose in warning him about the danger ahead in Jerusalem was not to deter him from going there, rather to prepare him.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

God does not lead us today through visions, but through His written Word. When you are seeking the will of God, open His Word and look for it there. Cry out and ask for God’s guidance. Seek the counsel of Godly men. What do you do when their counsel seems to conflict? In faith, continue to follow God’s Word. Although there might seem to be a conflict from your perspective, remember that God does not give conflicting directions.

Catechism

Question 56

Q. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?

A. The sixth commandment forbids the taking away of our own life (Ac. 16:28), or the life of our neighbour unjustly (Gen. 9:6), or whatever tends to it (Prov. 24:11, 12).