In dark times, can you see God guiding the way?

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

So, this glorious thing God is doing with Paul. It’s going to change some people’s minds soon and start to change politics and power later. The way ahead for Paul is to keep pointing to Jesus, and I love how he gets credited in this story directly for sharing the plan: “As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Given how rough Paul’s reception has been so far, does that sound encouraging, or too much like a dreadful task? Jesus says, “Take courage!” so I assume he means it that way! But look at all the nonsense Paul has to put up with – getting hit, targeted for murder, falsely accused, thrown in jail and detained for years – YEARS! – by corrupt officials hoping to be bribed and playing politics over his life. How, you might well ask, is God being glorified here?

I’m reminded of dark times in my own life. During a holiday abroad, I heard that my company back home was getting into some deep politics as similar companies were buying each other up and lots of jobs were being lost. I prayed about this, had the courage to ask for just one more year in my current job, and strongly sensed God saying yes to this. Even though things were pretty stressful back home, I was massively encouraged by believing God’s promise. But I hadn’t been back long before I became really sick, hospitalised, hooked up to beeping machines and watched very carefully through nights when it turned out I had a blood clot on the plane, it moved to my lungs and collapsed one of them, infection set in and apparently I’d come as close as I ever had to death. But I pulled out the encouragement and promise I’d had from God – he said I’d have my job for a year, so this definitely wasn’t my time to die!

Paul knows, because he believes Jesus, that he will testify in Rome. So what else matters? All the threats to stop him don’t amount to anything because God keeps his promises.

I love how, in the dark details of this story, God illuminates Paul’s path in so many ways. He knows what to say to set his opponents against each other. He finds help from believers and Roman authorities to avoid assassination, and through this situation, he gets brought before increasingly powerful people he never could have reached by knocking on doors.

Most of all I love how, at every turn, God has not just changed Paul’s circumstances but his mind, so he has a story to share about how everyone he meets can find Jesus and change too.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God’s plans are bigger than we can understand! Sometimes he only shows us a step at a time, and we might see the way best as light in our dark times. But he doesn’t need us worry about the complexities of the future. As we build an everyday relationship with Jesus, God shapes our hopes and builds our ability to share about our journeys of life change to help others.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Remember the power of crediting God for his life changing work in me, and his promises!

Who am I going to share this with?

My family and other people I follow Jesus with.