The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 23:12-19, "The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, 'We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.' … But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul… The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, 'What is it you want to tell me?'" Paul’s enemies were actually the Lord’s enemies - pawns in a spiritual conflict to stop the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles through Paul. All the leaders of the Jews, the Sanhedrin and forty conspirators taking an oath to terminate Paul’s work… but… one young man – Paul’s nephew! As the Lord says in Isaiah 55, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Working against the purposes of God and setting oneself against what the Lord intends to accomplish is futile. Vast armies could have been arrayed against the purposes of God in Paul’s ministry and yet all the Lord uses is one young man! We read in Proverbs 21:30, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." As it turns out, the Lord wanted the gospel proclaimed in Caesar’s court. Those participating against the purposes of God only found themselves facilitating what God wanted to carry out. You cannot succeed in opposing God's purposes, "The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." Psalm 33:10-11. As Paul proclaims in Romans, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 'Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?' 'Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36. Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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