Take Courage

As the book of Acts continues to unfold, Paul and the testimony he shares continues to place him repeatedly in harm's way. Time after time Paul is beaten, stoned, pursued, plotted against and in great peril. Amazingly he never waivers. He forges on without ever taking his eye off his mission. Paul accomplishes this by continually leaning into and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. He writes time and time again about praying without ceasing, giving joy in all circumstances. That intense focus and joy can only come from reliance on something greater than himself.

Tucked away in Acts 23:11, the Lord appears to Paul and says "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." To the cynic, the words might have sounded more along these lines. Your persecution is going to go indefinitely... To Paul, it's validation the God is not yet through with him and from that, he draws strength and the will to go on. Paul never waivers.

The Lord may never appear to us the way he appeared to Paul. We have something Paul didn't, we have the full counsel of God found in the bible. God appears to us in ways he never appeared to Paul. We have God's entire plan at our disposal. Just as the Lord told Paul to take courage, he tells us the same through scriptures.

In the same way that God confirmed upon Paul he had more to accomplish, we too have that confirmation. God is never done with us, His plans for us go even beyond this life. Each opportunity God gives us, every time we yield to the leading and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we are being prepared for future service to God. He created us, we are His to use, if we allow Him to use us.

God used Paul's trials, tribulations, and suffering to prepare Paul to bring God even greater glory. To this day God uses the same methods to prepare us for greater service to Him. As the Lord said to Paul, "Take courage!"

Steady Hands

Exodus has a passage I think about often lately. The Amalekites come and attack the Israelites. Moses sends Joshua and some men to go fight the enemy. He tells Joshua he will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands. So Joshua goes to fight as he was ordered. Moses along with Aaron and Hur go to the top of the hill. When Moses holds his hands up the Israelites prevail, when his arms get tired and he lowers them, the tide of battle turns. Now Aaron and Hur realize Moses is getting tired. They go and get a stone for him to sit on. Then Aaron and Hur held his hands up. One on one side, one on the other side-so that his hands remained steady until sunset. So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army with the sword.

Several observations can be made. First, even under the power and direction of God, we will be attacked. Second the leader isn't the one in the hand to hand combat, but they are the one to come up with the plan of action. Thirdly, the people fighting the battle and the leader all have to make contributions. Fourth, even leaders need help. Aaron and Hur supported Moses so that Israel could win the battle.

I think of this passage and wonder who's arms am I holding up? Who needs me to support them and help sustain them so they are able to accomplish the grand vision God has for them. Notice Joshua's success is made possible because Moses is supported. Without Aaron and Hur, the battle is lost. Who's Aaron am I?

I want my life to have an impact on others, I want to change peoples eternities. Aaron and Hur don't receive the glory from winning the fight on the battle field. They aren't heralded as the brilliant strategist and leader of Israel. Yet through supporting Moses, they change eternities, in the unsung annals of history, they are history makers. Sometimes we lead, sometimes we fight, other times we support. If today I am Moses, let me lead. If I am Joshua, let me fight. If I am Aaron, let me steady another's hands.