Week of February 16
Swiss Army Knife or the Spirit’s Edge?
Read: Leviticus 23-24; Psalm 24; Acts 21
“And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, “This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”’”
Acts 21:11, ESV
Introduction
Sometimes the Lord permits us to see “just over the hilltop” to know our future. A growing chain of circumstances seems to be challenging the contemporary church to recognize to understand more clearly how to live faithfully in challenging times. We know the Spirit “blows where He wills” (John 3:8), which means we may not always know immediately the direction our lives are headed. However, we may always trust the Heavenly Father’s heart and guidance through His Spirit (Exodus 34:6-7; John 14:15-16, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever”).
Interpreting the Bible Text
Willing to follow the Spirit’s call
Luke records a narrative account describing when Paul receives notice from the Holy Spirit of what awaits him when he returns to Jerusalem (Acts 21:7-14). The concerned disciples gathered around Paul received news of that which the Apostle had always known about his life and ministry from the time of Christ’s call (cf. Acts 9:16). He had already encountered severe hardship (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), and now he would face the likelihood of further severe persecution, even death. Nevertheless, he was prepared for this eventuality. The “elephant in the room,” so to speak, was the fact that he was headed toward Jerusalem by the Spirit’s call, even while the Spirit was warning him that “in every city” he would face hardships and the likelihood of imprisonment (cf. Acts 20:22-23)!
How to recognize and follow the Spirit’s leading
Know the mission. The Spirit oversees the Gospel mission, so we are to stay on mission. Yet, on the surface, there seems to be a mix-up in the divine communication here. The Spirit compels Paul to go to Jerusalem where the Spirit warns Paul that will likely face severe persecution. Is this like some silent movie western, where the bad cowboys tie Paul to a conveyor belt that slowly pulls him toward a giant whirring saw blade? No. There are truly no contradictory purposes here. God had a plan for leading him to Jerusalem—the plan was to advance the Gospel. In Ashlock speak, “We are to follow God’s current, not redirect it.”
Accept the challenges. We tell people today that God has a plan for their lives, which is true, but we do not tell them the whole story. We make the Christian life seem like a trip to the ice cream shop, where the only disappointment will be that they are out of Double Dutch Chocolate. Pastor Max Lucado says, “God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.”
Trust God’s control in and through the circumstances. Furthermore, the warnings by the Spirit were intended to let Paul know that God was in control of whatever he faced (cf. NAC). The Spirit says the same thing to you and me today. God is in control, even when we cannot see it, so let’s follow Him. The Spirit will guide us into God’s truth (John 14:25-26). Paul would eventually take the Gospel to Rome, which was his own heart’s desire (cf. 19:21; Romans 1:9ff). The road to Rome, however, would be a difficult one where he would ultimately lose his earthly life, but gain his eternal one (see Luke 17:33; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). It was worth it to Paul, and I am writing to tell you that following God through every circumstance of your life remains worth it today. Corrie ten Boom, a Nazi Holocaust survivor, once said, “Let God’s promises shine on your problems.”
Accept the challenges. We tell people today that God has a plan for their lives, which is true, but we do not tell them the whole story. We make the Christian life seem like a trip to the ice cream shop, where the only disappointment will be that they are out of Double Dutch Chocolate. Pastor Max Lucado says, “God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile.”
Trust God’s control in and through the circumstances. Furthermore, the warnings by the Spirit were intended to let Paul know that God was in control of whatever he faced (cf. NAC). The Spirit says the same thing to you and me today. God is in control, even when we cannot see it, so let’s follow Him. The Spirit will guide us into God’s truth (John 14:25-26). Paul would eventually take the Gospel to Rome, which was his own heart’s desire (cf. 19:21; Romans 1:9ff). The road to Rome, however, would be a difficult one where he would ultimately lose his earthly life, but gain his eternal one (see Luke 17:33; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). It was worth it to Paul, and I am writing to tell you that following God through every circumstance of your life remains worth it today. Corrie ten Boom, a Nazi Holocaust survivor, once said, “Let God’s promises shine on your problems.”
Applying the Text to Your Life
Do you remember the old MacGyver TV series? The main character was a genius (of course) who could pretty much solve any problem that he and his team faced with a simple Swiss Army knife. I’ve watched him defuse time bombs at the last second, survive a hail of gunfire, avert terrible disease, and withstand all sorts of bumps and bruises. He always reappeared, good as new, for the next episode. MacGyver, plus knife, despite various severe trials, always equaled a happy ending.
Here is the spiritual point of the devotional. Let’s listen to the truth about happy endings. They are not the result of your wits and a pocketknife. The title to the devotional raises an important question. My hope is that you will trust the Spirit’s edge because it always cuts straight according to God’s design. Missionary Hudson Taylor once said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” Do we see Who is the true genius in overcoming trials? It is God! We are called to follow His plans exactly. Live this truth today.
Here is the spiritual point of the devotional. Let’s listen to the truth about happy endings. They are not the result of your wits and a pocketknife. The title to the devotional raises an important question. My hope is that you will trust the Spirit’s edge because it always cuts straight according to God’s design. Missionary Hudson Taylor once said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” Do we see Who is the true genius in overcoming trials? It is God! We are called to follow His plans exactly. Live this truth today.
For Reflection and Action
1. The time-tested truth, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life” remains valid today. Write down the places and purposes that are creating doubts about your life’s plan. Ask God to make clear the way and, until He does, follow Him with the eyes of faith (Proverbs 3:5-6; Hebrews 11:1).
2. Hardship need not create a hard heart toward God. Ask God to remove all upset with Him about the direction He is leading you. Then ask His Spirit to provide comfort and strength in your trial.
3. For Families: Ask your children to play a game that will help drive home the point of this passage for your family. God called Paul for His purposes, and Paul followed, even when he did not know the future.
Bring a bandana and invite your whole family to have a seat in the living room. Put the chairs in a large circle. Now ask for a volunteer to be blindfolded. After the person is blindfolded, give the instructions.The blindfolded person is to sit on the floor with their head down. They are not allowed to peek to see what happens next. The object of the game is for the blindfolded person to guess each family member by touch or sound or smell, but not by sight.
As soon as the person is seated on the floor, everyone else in the family quietly exchanges places, so that no one is seated in the same place as before. No one is to make a peep. Then, snap your fingers to let the blindfolded person know they can get up and begin. They are allowed to find their family members, feel of their faces, etc., and try to guess who it is. If they do guess correctly, then they have scored a point. They move to the next person and try to guess his or her identity, and so on, all around the circle. When finished, let other people try.
Then share with your family that this game is like our lives. We live each day, not seeing in advance what the next day will bring. But we can trust God, even though we cannot see His hand sometimes, because we trust His heart. He will never leave us. He will always love and guide us.
May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock
2. Hardship need not create a hard heart toward God. Ask God to remove all upset with Him about the direction He is leading you. Then ask His Spirit to provide comfort and strength in your trial.
3. For Families: Ask your children to play a game that will help drive home the point of this passage for your family. God called Paul for His purposes, and Paul followed, even when he did not know the future.
Bring a bandana and invite your whole family to have a seat in the living room. Put the chairs in a large circle. Now ask for a volunteer to be blindfolded. After the person is blindfolded, give the instructions.The blindfolded person is to sit on the floor with their head down. They are not allowed to peek to see what happens next. The object of the game is for the blindfolded person to guess each family member by touch or sound or smell, but not by sight.
As soon as the person is seated on the floor, everyone else in the family quietly exchanges places, so that no one is seated in the same place as before. No one is to make a peep. Then, snap your fingers to let the blindfolded person know they can get up and begin. They are allowed to find their family members, feel of their faces, etc., and try to guess who it is. If they do guess correctly, then they have scored a point. They move to the next person and try to guess his or her identity, and so on, all around the circle. When finished, let other people try.
Then share with your family that this game is like our lives. We live each day, not seeing in advance what the next day will bring. But we can trust God, even though we cannot see His hand sometimes, because we trust His heart. He will never leave us. He will always love and guide us.
May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock
Posted in Pathway Devotionals