By the Power of the SpiritSample

Unexpected Allies

Have you ever encountered any opposition? Was someone actively working against what you were trying to do? Not just a difference of opinion or a divergence in strategy, but deliberate sabotage?

Imagine how the early followers of Jesus might have felt when, from the start, they found themselves up against opposition. The disciples were healing people and preaching Jesus as the Son of God, and for this, they were brought before the ruling bodies.

They were threatened in chapter 4, beaten in chapter 5, and murdered in chapter 7. The situation just kept escalating. It went from only the Apostles facing opposition in the early chapters of Acts to where anyone and everyone who claimed to follow Jesus faced persecution in chapter 8.

The birth of the Church was a difficult one. It was born into conflict and turmoil, while a man named Saul braced himself against the fledgling Church.

Men, opposition can get our inner warrior all riled up. Instead of submitting to the wisdom and ways of God (see Peter and John’s response in Acts 4:19-20), it’s sometimes tempting to turn big and green and…Hulk Smash!

When God’s work is being opposed, we want to remove the barriers. But we need to remember that God is still working, too, doing things only He can do.

In Acts 9, we read about Saul’s conversion. Miraculous! That entire encounter could occupy our week's study, everything from the miracle of the voice and light to the submission of Ananias to welcome and care for an enemy to a transformed Saul.

What needs our attention, though, is Saul’s actions. Acts 9:20 says, “At once Saul began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.”

This is the difference the Spirit of God can make. Men, if you are wanting and waiting for God to do something in your life, do not give up hope. The timing may not be what we desire (Saul had to spend a bit of time blind before he could see—metaphorically and literally), but when God does move, change can be fast and dramatic.

Do not give up hope. Keep waiting for God to make you into the man He wants you to be.

Prayer: God, thank You that none of us is beyond Your love and transformative power. Help me be ready and willing to listen to You and embrace the changes You are bringing in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reflection: Where are you waiting for God to make a difference in your life? How are you waiting?