"But
Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"" - Acts 16:28
Paul and
Silas had just been thrown into prison. An earthquake erupted and the jail cell
was opened. It's Paul and Silas' opportunity. "Deliverance! Praise
God!" might be the appropriate response. But this is not what Paul and
Silas did. In fact, rather than leave, they sat quietly in their cell area. The
guard, in fear of his life, knew that it would be automatic death if prisoners
escaped. Paul and Silas did not leave because they saw a higher purpose for
which they were in prison. They were not looking at their circumstance; they
were much more concerned about the unsaved guard. The story goes on to explain
how Paul and Silas went home with the guard and his family. Not only did the
guard get saved, but his entire household as well.
What a
lesson this is for us. How often we are so busy looking for deliverance from
our circumstance that we miss God completely. God is looking to do miracles in
our circumstances if we will only look for them. Sometimes as workplace
believers we become so obsessed with our goals we miss the process that God
involves us in, which may be where the miracle lies. What if that bill
collector who has been hounding you is unsaved and he is there for you to speak
to? What if a problem account has arisen due to something God is doing beyond
what you might see at this time? Our adverse situations can often be the door
of spiritual opportunity for those who need it.
I saw
this personally when God allowed me to go through a number of adversities. It
took some time, but I saw some great miracles as a result of those adversities.
When God said that "all things work together for good for those who are
called according to His purposes" (see Rom. 8:28), He meant all things. It
is up to us to find the "work together for good" part by being
faithful to the process. In the next adversity you face, tune your spiritual
antennae and ask God for discernment to see the real purpose for the adversity.
No comments:
Post a Comment