Tag Archives: safe

Pray For Me

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PRAY FOR ME

 

“So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.” Romans 15: 28, 29.

Paul related his plans with such confidence! It sounds so easy, as though he would hop on a plane in Jerusalem and disembark in Rome before catching another flight to Spain a few days later. But that was not the case. He was talking about many weeks of travel, by sea, catching a ride wherever he could on primitive and precarious cargo vessels, and over land, mostly on foot through difficult terrain full of perils.

But he had a desire and a plan and he was determined to see it through. He was aware that he had a mission to fulfill – to carry the blessing of the message about Christ wherever he went. He had a deposit of the truth within him. It was his duty to give it away to people everywhere and to share the blessings of Jesus as far and wide as he possibly could.

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favourably received by the Lord’s people there, so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all.” Romans 15:30-33.

At the same time, Paul was no stoic. He was well aware of the dangers that awaited him in Jerusalem. If he was hated and persecuted by his unbelieving countrymen in Europe and Asia Minor, how much more was his life in danger in his own land? The Jewish leaders, some of whom had been part of the campaign against Jesus, were there and they would not tolerate his presence because his reputation would have gone before him. He was their erstwhile ally turned traitor, and they would make every effort to get rid of him when he put his foot on home soil.

He urged his fellow believers in Rome to pray for his safety and for the success of his undertaking to deliver the gift of the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. Would they receive the gift since it had come from Gentiles? What if his mission was in vain because of the deep-seated prejudice of his Jewish friends? These were issues that troubled Paul. He needed the prayer partnership of fellow believers wherever he could garner their support, and he was not too proud or independent to ask for their help.

Apostle though he was, Paul was also aware of his humanity and his vulnerability. He was no brazen macho, powering his way around the empire as though he were invincible. Life was a struggle for him. He was in the middle of warfare on two fronts.

There was a relentless enemy all around him, seeking his destruction through every means possible. He was an enemy of unbelieving Jews who were scattered throughout the empire and he was an enemy of the state because he refused to kowtow to Caesar’s demand to be worshipped as a god. He proclaimed Jesus as Lord wherever he went and gathered a following in every city and town where he preached.

There was also a relentless enemy within, his own sinful nature which had to be subdued by submitting to and obeying his Lord in spite of the fears and insecurities that constantly assailed him.  He felt the weight of responsibility for all the churches on his shoulders. He was driven to preach, write and go to every corner of the empire to make Christ known and to nurture the believers with his knowledge of the truth.

He needed the support of fellow believers and he was not afraid to ask for it. It was comforting for him to know that he was not alone in this great enterprise; that though they could not go with him, they could be with him through their love and prayers. In a hostile world, the church was his refuge and his fellow believers his covering as he ventured forth from the safety of their company to fulfill his mission to the world.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Walking On The Word

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WALKING ON THE WORD

“At daybreak, no one recognised the land — but then they did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on the beach. They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail and ran before the wind toward the beach. But we didn’t make it. Still far from shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up.

“The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so that none could escape by swimming, but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them, He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it, and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely.” Acts 27:39-44 (The Message).

Terra firma! How thankful they must have been to feel solid ground under their feet. After two weeks of hurricane force wind and lashing rain, no matter how wet, cold and bedraggled they were, they were safely on land, for now. But there was still a long road ahead of them. They had no idea where they were, whether the island was inhabited, whether the islanders were friendly or hostile, where they would find shelter, food and water and if and how they would ever reach their destination.

I guess one person was unfazed by their circumstances. God had told Paul that the whole company would be saved. He had also told Paul that he was going to Rome. On the strength of God’s word, Paul believed that it would all work out for them.

The centurion’s trust and respect for Paul saved the lives of all the prisoners. After all, Paul seemed to be the only one in the company, together with his travelling companions, who was level-headed in the situation. He needed him to navigate the present circumstances to a satisfactory conclusion. The captain of the ship features nowhere in the story. He seems to have faded out of the picture after his bad mistake.

There is a clear and necessary lesson for believers in this event. Paul had learned, through many years of dangerous living, to find his safety, not in any geographical hiding place, but in the Word of God. As long as he believed and acted upon what God had said, his life was indestructible until his work was done.

God does not guarantee our safety for safety’s sake but for our role in His big story. Paul knew that Rome was the most dangerous place of all for him. He would have to face the crackpot, Nero, who had a pathological hatred for Christians because they challenged his arrogant claim to being Lord. Death held no terror for a man who passionately believed in and proclaimed the resurrection. He had only one desire — to please his Master and to fulfil his calling. He could do it only one way — by staking everything on God’s word.

On one occasion Jesus had left His disciples to cross the lake on their own while He went onto the mountain to pray. A storm arose and battered their little craft until they had given up hope and resigned themselves to being drowned. Jesus realised their plight and crossed the lake on foot to rescue them. They thought He was a ghost until He called out to them and they recognised Him. Impulsive Peter also wanted to try walking on water. Jesus said, ‘Come,’ and on the strength of His word, Peter clambered out of the boat and walked on water until his senses got the better of his faith.

There is no place in life more secure than in the word of God. When God speaks, He means what He says and will do what He says He will do. It is not our place to choose from His word what is convenient or comfortable for us. That is presumption. We are to live by “every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Our role is to wait and listen until God speaks to us, whether it be through His written word or in some other way that is compatible with His nature and His Word.

The story of our lives has already been written in His book. It is up to us to overwrite our story to match His by listening and being obedient to His Word. Then, like Paul, we can know that the outcome, no matter what the crisis, is sure in God.

If God Be For Us

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IF GOD BE FOR US

“The captain came up and put Paul under arrest. He first ordered him handcuffed and then asked who he was and what he had done. All he got from the crowd were shouts, one yelling this, another that. It was impossible to tell one word from another in the mob hysteria, so the captain ordered Paul taken to the military barracks. But when they got to the Temple steps, the mob became so violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul. As they carried him away, the crowd followed, shouting, ‘Kill him! Kill him!'” Acts 21:33-36 (The Message).

How many times had Paul been in a similar situation? In almost every city he had preached in, he had faced being lynched, either by Jews or enraged Gentiles stirring up violence against him for some perceived grievance. This was religious bigotry at its worst.

His ploy to appease the opposition hadn’t worked. They were not taken in by his shaved head and pathetic attempt to convince them that he was a good Jew. His reputation had gone before him and it took only one tiny spark of hatred to set the whole city alight. Roman soldiers or no Roman soldiers, the mob was determined to get him this time, once and for all.

It was only divine intervention that could save him, and it came to him in the form of Roman authority which, at this moment, was on his side. This little Jewish colony was a constant thorn in Rome’s side. There had to be a strong military presence here to keep the volatile crowd from erupting over any little religious nit-picking especially when it came to the issue of Jesus of Nazareth.

Some thirty years before, representatives of the city had made their choice. ‘His blood be upon us and upon our children,’ they had yelled at Pilate. Not only had they chosen to speak for themselves but they had also implicated their descendants in their decision to reject their Messiah and consign themselves to the unbelief that has dogged their nation down the centuries.

For Paul there was one tiny light at the end of the tunnel — Rome. He was not going to die here at the hands of the Jews, no matter their intention, because God had assured him that he would testify to His grace in Rome. As scary as his situation was, he was assured of divine protection and he could rest in the presence and promise of God.

“When they got to the barracks, and were about to go in, Paul said to the captain, ‘Can I say something to you?’

“He answered, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you spoke Greek. I thought you were an Egyptian who not long ago started a riot here and then hid out in the desert with his four thousand thugs.’

“Paul said, ‘No, I am a Jew, born in Tarsus. And I’m a citizen still of that influential city. I have a simple request. Let me speak to the crowd.'” Acts 21:37-39 (The Message).

Surprise! The Roman captain thought he had to do with yet another marauding gang leader, not an educated, Greek speaking, respectable citizen of an influential city in the Roman Empire. That put a different slant on things. God was slowly building His protective shield around Paul, growing respect for him in the heart of the Roman captain which would stand him in good stead in days to come.

Once again Paul was learning that the safest place to be was in the will of God because he was untouchable in the worst of circumstances as God’s plan for him unfolded. When David was a fugitive from the murderous hatred of Saul, he also experienced a safe place in God.

To Abiathar, son of the murdered priest, Ahimelech, he said, “‘Stay with me, don’t be afraid. The man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me.” 1 Samuel 22:23 (NIV).