Daily Devotional for Wednesday, April 12

Paul in Caesarea

“And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus,” Acts 21:11-13.

I love baseball but I especially love the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a Dodgers fan, I have learned to dislike the abilities of players on opposing teams. Dodgers’ fans tend to have a unique distaste for the San Francisco Giants. Likewise, Giants’ fans hold the Dodgers in great contempt. It is not personal, it’s baseball. Dodgers’ fans and Giants’ fans dislike the other team simply because of the team they are on.
Christians have been saved by Christ and have been made part of the kingdom of God. Not because of anything we have done, Christ saved us by grace through faith in Him. For this reason and this reason alone, Satan is our sworn enemy. Satan is against God in every way, and he despises those who follow Christ. It is not personal, it is business. Kingdom business.
Those who follow Christ and declare the gospel should expect opposition from those who do not follow Christ. Unbelievers are enemies of God by nature, according to Scripture. Therefore, we should not be surprised when the unbelieving world scoffs at the message of the Cross. The life we live for Christ and the message we proclaim is foolishness to them.

THOUGHT: Paul gives us great encouragement to continue living for Christ no matter what hardships or persecutions we may face.

Steven Ridings