The Book of Acts: Turn Your World Upside DownSample

Today’s Devotional:

For the Apostle Paul, doing ministry was not easy. It was rough. We like to focus on the

moments where He wrote great theology in His letters to the Church. We marvel at the healings and miracles that God did through Paul. However, in this part of the journey, Paul is on trial. As Jesus had led Him to Jerusalem, Paul would face accusations and then an attack on his very life. Human nature is that we want to be appreciated for our ministry efforts but certainly not attacked for it. Could you imagine attending church to serve in your area of ministry and then being accused or attacked?

What do you do when you feel accused or attacked while ministering to people? I will tell you what most people would do: they would defend themselves and attack back. They would find the door and go to a place where they feel appreciated. They run from attack. But not Paul. He stood firm through the trial.

Sometimes, God will lead you to walk through a trial. Your ministry will require you to face adversity. Will you run away or stand firm? When you feel attacked, it is natural to want to defend or to feel discouraged. We even see that Paul must have felt these emotions. Jesus had to speak to him in the trial in verse 11:

“That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”

You can stand firm in the trial when you know that you are called by Jesus in your ministry. When others attack you, Jesus will encourage you. Your aim is not to please man, but to please God.

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Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Matt Pilot.

Questions to Consider:

• How do you respond when you feel attacked?
• What can you learn from Paul about standing firm through trials?

Prayer:

God, thank you for giving me strength, wisdom, and grace through every trial. Help me to stand firm no matter what I face. I pray that I will live to please you and not other people. In Jesus’ name, amen.