Daily Devotional for Friday, March 31st

The Lunacy of the Crowd

“And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre,” Acts 19: 28, 29.

“The gospel is not just hard. The gospel is insulting. The gospel tells me things I don’t want to hear and asks me to do things I don’t want to do. I don’t want to be told to take the log out of my eye before I take the speck out of anyone else’s. I don’t want to sacrifice my comfort for the love of others” —Brad Hambrick. (http://bradhambrick.com/angry-at-the-gospel/)
Sometimes the truth is offensive. Sometimes the truth is hard to accept. As Paul preached the gospel, the truth of God’s Word pierced the hearts of many people. Many people turned to Christ in faith. Yet, many were offended at the gospel and rejected the truth that would set them free from their sin. This is still a reality so many years later. As the gospel is proclaimed, some will humble themselves and accept the truth. Yet, others will angrily defy the truth and lash out with great malice toward those who proclaim the good news.
As Paul proclaimed the gospel in Ephesus, those who made fortunes off the worship of the false goddess Diana became enraged. As people accepted Christ and turned from their idol worship, many craftsmen felt a sting in their pocketbook. We humans are never more stirred to angst as when our wallets are being affected. So, these craftsmen stirred up riots against those preaching the gospel in an effort to save their livelihood. Imagine the economy of our city and state being radically changed because so many people are coming to Christ. Imagine the cultural impact as people respond to the gospel in waves throughout our land.

REFLECTION: The gospel is powerful enough to change individuals or entire cities. Do not cease from sharing the gospel in your circle of influence.

Steven Ridings