Daily Devotional for Tuesday, May 9

Paul’s Activities as a Pharisee

“And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” Acts 26:6-8.

At a recent state association meeting, I enjoyed watching a certain pastor as the congregation sang together. We sang some newer songs and some very old songs together. With each song, this pastor sang with visible joy as the congregation lifted our voices together in praise. I thought to myself, “that man knows and believes deep in his spirit what we are singing about.”
As the apostle Paul shared his testimony of his conversion with King Agrippa, there seemed to be doubt among the court that God could raise the dead. Paul proclaimed that if God could save him and transform him from what he used to be, it should be no difficulty at all to believe that God could raise the dead. Paul’s new life and pattern of behavior was a tremendous testimony of how God had saved him.
We must never discount how God wants to use our own testimony of salvation and our daily life to be an expression of the gospel. We may be able to explain deep theological truths among biblical scholars or quote many Bible verses from memory. Both are good. But we cannot dismiss the importance of telling people how Jesus saved us and is continually changing us by His power.
Just as the preacher’s visible joy while singing blessed me and impacted me, our own testimony of how God has saved us from sin may be the most effective tool we have in sharing the gospel.

THOUGHT: Tell somebody what the Lord has done for you!

Steven Ridings