Don’t Snatch Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
Acts 8:4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place, proclaiming the word.
So often things appear to be in a mess – it seems as though all our best laid plans lie in ruin.
What is God up to? What’s He thinking?
You’ve been doing your best. You’ve been working hard at being a “good Christian”. You’ve been trying to honour God as best as you can. Let’s face it, it’s hard work sometimes. People don’t appreciate you often times.
And then you look at the conflict, and the mess that things are in, and honestly, you’re asking yourself, What’s the point? Is it all, really worth it?
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, right?
Not long after Jesus ascended into heaven, the early church was thriving. I mean that early church was founded by people who had known Jesus. They’d seen His amazing miracles and heard Him preach. They’d seen Him crucified and then – utterly amazingly – risen again.
Why wouldn’t the church be thriving? They had a firsthand zeal in their hearts. But within just a few short years, they were under heavy persecution, led by a man named Saul. He was stirring up trouble. People were being killed, stoned to death, driven out of their homes. All because they believed in Jesus.
And so, as a result, these new Christians were scattered far and wide across the known world. It’s known today as the diaspora or the dispersion.
Things had been going so well. Many were coming to faith. People were sharing all they had in common, meeting the needs of the poor. There was miracle after miracle of healing and deliverance. It was an amazing time.
And then this persecution that tore the church apart, that tore homes and families and friendships and marriages apart.
God what were you thinking?!
Actually, He was thinking rather a lot. Because in the midst of this terrible persecution God had a plan. An amazing plan. A plan that, actually, has impacted you and me two thousand years later.
Because as those early Christians were scattered across the world through that persecution, they went from place to place, telling others about Jesus. Proclaiming the Word of God. Without that diaspora, the church would never have spread and in all likelihood would never have survived.
Think about it. Without that diaspora, in all likelihood, you and I would never have heard about Jesus.
When the going gets tough, all we can think about is the pain that we’re going through. We see things from where we sit. We want the pain to end, soon … now! But so often, it’s all part of God’s plan to impact this world with the amazing love of Jesus Christ.
Back then, as it turned out … God had a plan. And as it turns out … He still does.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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