May 7, 2019
Acts 26:9-18 Contemporary English Version
Do you make the most of every opportunity the Lord provides you each day? It begins with a proper perspective. Not every situation we face is going to be good, but every situation can be an opportunity for good in the hands of our loving and good God. If we believe the Lord has positioned us in life and He directs our steps, then we are going to trust Him even when we face a hard or bad situation. Tough days can become the most fertile ground for us to bear righteous fruit. Those times become our best opportunities to witness the work of the Lord in our lives. The Lord wants the world to know Him, so how we face things is a testimony to how we view the goodness of the Lord. Think about it. Your testimony of the Lord’s presence with you each day is a way to witness to the resurrected and Living Lord those around you need to know.
In our passage today, the Jews have brought charges against the Apostle Paul; he is in prison awaiting trial for inciting problems among the Jews with his testimony. Yet, he is going to make the most of this opportunity for the Lord. Many Jews hated the content of Paul’s message; that Jesus is the promised Messiah from God—for the Jews and the world—and that the Messiah has been raised from the dead. The resurrection is central to the Christian belief; Paul wants to tell his story about his encounter with the Living Lord to validate the Truth. King Agrippa, of Jewish descent, gives Paul an opportunity to defend himself and explain the foundation of his beliefs.