Help of God
Today’s Verse:
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: ~Acts 26:22
Are you at a tough spot in your life right now? A tough spot is like the children of Israel with the Egyptian army behind them and the Red Sea in front of them. A tough spot is Gideon’s army being divinely reduced to 300 soldiers facing a Midianite foe of 100,000 soldiers. A tough spot is when you are at a place where you have to take a stand in spite of the odds being against you. Paul was at a place where he was in a tough spot. It was a once-in-a-lifetime situation. He was standing before King Herod Agrippa, and was demanded to give an account for his ministry. Let us see from Paul’s testimony how we can have “help of God” when we are in a tough spot.
We see Paul and his ENCIRCLEMENT.
Paul was encircled by religious elders, soldiers, skeptics, and King Herod. He was given an opportunity to speak for himself to King Herod. Paul was in a situation where he was outnumbered. He was in a situation where the crowd already made up its mind about him, and were at enmity with him. Anything he would say could be used against him. He was in a tough spot! Our biggest problems are those where we are not sure what to do, what to say, or how to proceed. We feel encircled and pressured by the problem. In some way, we feel like there is no escape, no friend, or no way out.
We see Paul and his ENABLEMENT.
“Having therefore obtained help of God.” Paul was encircled, but Paul was also enabled! Every time he was in a tough situation, he experienced help of God. Without problems and trials, we would never learn what it means to have help of God. Help of God is a word of encouragement or wisdom. Help of God is a friend coming alongside of us when we do not know to whom to turn. Help of God is a break-through from a long season of prayer. Help of God is the Spirit’s boldness in the face of opposition. When you are encircled, don’t look for the easy way out: look to God to be your helper! “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me,” Heb. 13:5-6.
We see Paul and his ENDEAVOR.
“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” The devil’s strategy is to sidetrack us from our priority of being a good witness. Paul boldly told Herod that he continued to be a witness to small and great about the Lord Jesus! Whatever his critics were saying about him, he did not let their words sidetrack him from being a witness to everyone. Paul was sustained by God’s power when he was in a tough spot. Paul was steadfast in God’s power when he was in those tough spots. He said, “I continue.” Paul was soulwinning in God’s power when he was in a tough spot. He saw everything that happened as an opportunity to witness about the Lord Jesus. He made sure people around him benefitted from his testimony.
If you’re in a tough spot, let God make you a tenacious Christian! Like Paul, we have help of God. Never forget that souls still need to be saved, and God has placed you where you are to be a blessing to someone else.
Have an enabled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Judges 19-21