EXPAND TO READ: ACTS 24 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 16): This single verse is speaking rather loudly to me today. Paul says to the court that he always tries to do his best to have a clear conscience towards God and men. I have spoken and thought in many ways throughout my faith in ways that I knew I would not have a clear conscience towards You and sometimes even towards men. I have said and done many things that I am not proud of since coming to faith. My conscience was not clear for quite some time, unfortunately. Lately I have been better, but I still feel I must confess to the mistakes of my past. Please forgive me for often walking my own path in this life, Father. Please forgive me for often walking this life in a way that does not serve a clear conscience towards You nor towards men. Continue to remind me that Your way is THE way for me to live, regardless of the situations I may come across in this life.
PROMISE (verse 15): In this verse, a clear promise is made from Paul through You—that one day there will be a mass resurrection of both the righteous and unrighteous. I believe this is a foretelling of Your return to us, but also a promise that You reign supreme over ALL existence, not just those who choose to believe in You. Thank You for this promise, Father. Thank You for always revealing to us that You are the God, the Way, the Life, and the only One we are to put our hope and salvation in.
ATTITUDE (verse 16): Coming back to this verse because it is speaking rather loudly to me. Paul says that he always tries to keep a clear conscience towards You and men. Help me to be better at walking in an attitude of clear conscience, Father, through all things that I do in this life. Help me to be better at grasping Your truth fully in my heart and mind, so that anything I encounter in this life I take it on in a way that keeps my conscience clear towards You. I have felt shame many times in the past concerning things I’ve done or not done and I do not want to feel that way anymore. Continue Your great works in me, Father, so that as I mature in my faith it is completed with a clear conscience.
COMMAND (verse 16): Once again, this verse resounds heavily with me today in many ways and for many reasons. I also see a command here. You are telling us that no matter what we say or do, if we do so according to Your truth and Your will for our lives then we are doing good. I am to do all things in this life with the ultimate goal of a clear conscience towards my relationship with You. Nothing this life throws at me should ever be something that pulls me in a direction in which I will not have a clear conscience with You, because Your will should always be done. Help me to follow this command far better than I have in the past, Father, so that Your will is done in my life and Your truth is always spoken to me.
EXAMPLE (verses 24-27): I really like the example here. Paul is locked up again yet given a few more freedoms than before that aren’t specified here. He’s asked to come and speak to Felix many times, with Felix expecting Paul to give him some money to set him free, but also wanting to truly hear more about Jesus it seems. Two years pass of this type of living for Paul. TWO YEARS! He never broke any true laws, he was never tried for his speaking of Your truth, he didn’t even break away from Your will for his life as he stayed faithful throughout all of this. Felix was expecting a bribe from Paul, which never came to fruition. Paul was simply speaking Your truth to him and his family through all of this time in prison. Could he have bribed Felix to get out of prison? Definitely! Was that what You wanted him to do? I doubt it. You told him that he would also speak Your truth and the testimony You blessed him with in Rome and that’s exactly what he was doing for a couple of years at least. It may have just been to Felix and whomever Felix allowed in the room at the time, but he was still speaking Your truth and his testimony to him rather frequently. Help me to be better at following Paul’s example here of faithfulness and obedience, Father.
*DAILY NOTE: This story of Paul (aka Saul) just keeps glorifying You more and more throughout it. Many will see a story of a guy simply trying to spread his testimony about You and spread Your truth who gets falsely accused and imprisoned. Many will see the societal side of this story in which the person who rebels against the commonalities of the current society at the time is beaten almost to death and then put in jail. I see a man who is staying faithful and obedient to You throughout all things in this life. I see a man who is convicting the hearts of the world according to Your truth. I see a man who is eager to speak of the testimony You gave him, no matter the repercussions. I see a man who was beaten by an angry and probably convicted crowd but saved from death by You through the local commander pulling him out of harm’s way. I see You sprinkled throughout this entire story, initially curing his stone heart towards You, then navigating him through the hearts of the world, while at the same time keeping him alive longer to advance Your ministry through him to the world. You “intervened” in perfect timing multiple times throughout his testimony to ensure his life was not taken before You want it to be taken. Thank You for sharing such an amazing story with me, Father. I look forward to hearing the rest of the story from You over the next few days.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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