Devotional - July 5, 2004

Deliverance comes in many shapes and sizes. David was aware of that fact as he was barely able to escape Absalom's sword. Paul would need the same ability if he was to finish the job God gave him.

It appeared Paul was done. It had already been revealed to him that he would die as a result of his preaching Jesus; the only question remaining was when it would happen. The Sadducees as well as the Pharisees were up in arms even though Paul was one of them, so to speak. They became more and more aggressive toward him as they openly plotted to kill him. But just when it seemed Paul's race would end in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to him and told him he would go to Rome and preach the same message there as he had fearlessly preached to the Jews and Gentiles.

Isn't it the same way in the life of each one of us who serve the Lord? Here's what I mean. We're all called to preach the Gospel to the nations and often we find it expedient to go elsewhere to people of different cultures than our own to do it. But do we sometime forget God planted us where we are to bloom and spread the fragrance of God's love in the place we call home?

Paul was a Roman as well as a Jew trained in the way of the Pharisees. The Lord appeared to him at the end of his life to remind him that there were people at home who needed to hear the message. But his call also carried a certain price for delivering the message. That price was his life.

Those of us who call ourselves a Christian in this generation may live having never having fulfilled the charge God gave us. Here's what I mean by that statement. In John 16, Jesus told His followers and us through them that we could expect to be put out of the house of God by those in power who think they are serving God by doing it. I think you'll agree that we seldom are even slightly inconvenienced as we serve the Lord, much less persecuted. (Vs. 1-4)

Please don't misunderstand me. If you are a missionary serving God in a foreign land, God bless you for your selfless service. But if you believe they or your pastor of staff member alone share responsibility to tell people about Christ, you're mistaken. We are all called to preach Christ crucified, but will we do so today?

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( 1 Ch. 1:1-2:17 Ac. 23:11-35 Ps. 3:1-8 Pr. 18:14-15 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society