Scripture
9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! 10For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.” 11So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God. Acts 18:9-11
Observation
In Acts 14:19-20, a mob stoned Paul and dragged him out of Lystra, thinking he was dead. The believers gathered around him and prayed. Some scholars believe he was resurrected. If not that, he was miraculously healed. This was evidenced by the fact that Paul got up and got back to work in spreading the Good News of Jesus. Paul also experienced other near death experiences, including shipwrecks and beatings and was probably expecting that was how it was going to play out in Corinth. Most likely Paul felt alone and overwhelmed and was planning on moving on until Jesus visited Him and gave Him a specific assignment within his general calling. He stayed in Corinth for the next year and a half planting that Church and making disciples. God gave Paul a promise of protection, reminded him of his purpose, and gave him perspective that “many people In this city belong to me.” Until Paul’s purpose had been accomplished he was bullet proof. His fears faded to the background as he would go on to write in his letter to the church in Philippi: “I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (Phil 4:11-13)
Application
It was mid July 2021 when the doctor told me I was going to die from a particularly vicious variant of Covid. The ER doctor had kicked Cyndi out and told me that with Double Pneumonia my lungs were completely black and at my age I probably wouldn’t make it. She told me to call my family while I could still talk and then walked out of the room. As the door closed behind her I felt the wind knocked out of me and not just because I was on a ventilator. I truly wondered if it was my time to go. I felt so isolated and alone so overwhelmed by those insane circumstances. That night, in the dark night of my soul, Jesus spoke clearly breaking through my fear, “I have more songs for you to sing. Pray for a five day miracle.” This was the word I held on to over and against what I was feeling in my body and what the experts were telling me. God’s people prayed along with me and that promise reminded me of my purpose and gave me perspective. Against all expectations I walked out of that hospital 5 days later healed and whole! When it’s time for me to go God will take me home, but until then, I am a man on assignment and that makes me bulletproof. This doesn’t give me an excuse to be foolish with my personal safety or health choices. No, quite the opposite. As a 50 year old man I want to be healthier than ever, because there is still more for me to do and I need my body to keep up with God’s will. This clarity on my God-given purpose keeps me from the self-preservation so many are prone to today. The sad truth is that the longer we are Christians, the easier it is for us to get more calculated, careful and cold with our love. We used to take big risks for Jesus, but over time we do less and expect less. What can break our faith out of self-preservation? Job said it best, “Our time on earth is brief; the number of our days is already decided by you. Every man has been allotted a number of days here on earth.” (Job 14:15). Don’t waste what God has given living for yourself…We don’t have much time, so let’s spend it all on Jesus and not wast a moment serving ourselves. The enemy can’t take our lives when our lives belong to Jesus!
Prayer
Thank You Jesus for saving my soul and saving my life! Thank You for that word in the middle of the night. I pray that I would keep walking that out. Forgive me for allowing fear or apathy to take away the boldness of a bullet proof faith that I had when I walked out of that hospital that day. Whether I have much or little I have been given the gift of life today and that’s all I need to tell others about how good You are! I'm ready to take big risks for You Jesus! No more playing it safe for me!
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