EXPAND TO READ: ACTS 25 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 19): When the Jewish community came to the courts in Caesarea to give their side as to why Paul was guilty, they had nothing convicting and only met the courts with complaints of things they disagreed with him on. How often in my life, in my own heart and mind, have I convicted someone due to a disagreement? How often have I judged someone falsely or negatively simply because I did not agree with them on a matter? Too often! Please forgive me for this, Father. You are the only judge that matters and my disagreements with others should never be held as a conviction to death neither in my head nor in this world. Your judgment reigns over any beliefs or disagreements I have and I must remember that a difference of opinions or interpretations should never be used as a lifetime conviction towards another. Remind me in moments like this, Father, that I am not a judge, nor should I try and convict others for their difference in opinions or life choices.
PROMISE (verse 12): Going back to the promise You made to Paul about giving his testimony in Rome, I see it coming to fruition and playing out fully. Festus agreed that Paul should give his testimony and be tried in front of Caesar after hearing no valid arguments from the Jewish community. He agreed that Paul should meet with Caesar to give his side of all of this hatred being invoked on him. Your promise to Paul is coming to fruition as he navigates through the mandatory levels of the courts in the Roman system. He has not been put to death by the hands of the Jewish community. Instead, he is being protected from such by the secular government that reigns over the area he is in—the Roman government. Just as You had promised him, he will give his testimony in Rome!
ATTITUDE (verse 8): Paul managed to remain sin-free on the topics discussed here not only against the Jewish law of the day, but also the law of the Roman government that was overtop of him. He truly lived his life in a way that balanced his spiritual faith’s law but also balanced his following of the worldly law amongst the Roman government at the time. His discernment in the differences and similarities to be able to navigate this tough task is amazing and all glory goes to You for revealing this all to him. Help me to be better at embracing a life and attitude of balance in my life, Father. Help me to be better at living in balance and discernment among the spiritual laws You want me to live by, but also the worldly laws that the government over top of me wants me to live by. Although Your truths are always more prevalent and powerful than any worldly laws that can be written, there should always be a way that I can live my life in a way that does not break either of them just as Paul did here with what was likely a very corrupt Roman government system at the time.
COMMAND (verse 5): Festus gave a rather bold statement here, that I feel is also a command from You for me to live by. He says to “let the men of authority among you go down with me and accuse him, if there is any wrong in this man.” He recognizes the authority amongst the Jewish community even though the Roman government felt their own authority to be far higher than that of the Jewish authority figures. He also gave a quick jab at this whole situation by his last statement of “if there is any wrong in this man.” I see Your command in this statement as us recognizing the authority of those appointed over us, even if we do not agree with them on a situation. I also see that even though we may perceive someone as innocent or guilty, that Your truth and Your will reigns supreme over anything the authorities may think or say. Help me to be better at living in this command, Father, so that I live faithfully under Your authority, but also the authority of those appointed over me in this world.
EXAMPLE (verse 11): Paul recognized his innocence, but also was very familiar with the law on both ends—the Jewish law and the Roman law. As a result of this knowledge of their laws, he was able to request that he be tried in front of Caesar himself. He proclaimed his innocence throughout, but also proclaimed that he does not refuse death; just that he is innocent of anything that would hold him accountable to a conviction of death. Help me to be better at knowing both Your laws and my government’s, Father, that way if anything like this does cross my path, I am always well-prepared, just as Paul was here, to refute, defend, and testify towards Your glory throughout the legal system in this life.
*DAILY NOTE: Paul never ceases to amaze me with how You have worked so instrumentally in his life to get him to this point. You put him in a position to where he became extremely knowledgeable on both the law of the Jewish community, but then also the law of the Romans and everything in between. As such, he is able to navigate their legal systems for Your glory to prove that the truth he has spoken about You, which You blessed him with, is valid and not something their laws have any grounds to convict him to death on. I could not even imagine being held in prison for years awaiting a “fair” trial which requires a death conviction by his accusers. He has been passed along to many of the leaders trying at multiple levels to determine what he’s actually guilty of. All of those leaders seemed to be confused as to why he was being convicted to death along the way by his accusers for something as simple as a disagreement, so they continued to press him upwards in the legal system. Thank You for this great continuation of Paul’s story, Father. I look forward to hearing more about his story as the last few chapters of Acts are revealed to me in the coming days.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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