Skip to main content

Acts 9:10-12 God's plan to restore Paul's sight Day 9

 The theme of the Gospel Project Sunday School material is that God is at center stage of all events in the Bible.  The people are just the supporting cast.  This passage is a good example.

Blessings,

Jeff

Instruction - Ananias = "whom Jehovah has graciously given".  God does not tell us how Ananias came to be a disciple. Based on his name, We know he is a Jewish convert. Based on his knowledge of persecution in Jerusalem, there was an ongoing relationship believers in the two cities. But the point seems to be that God had planned all these events in advance. God is the main character in this story, just as He is the main character in all of scripture and history. God speaks to Ananias about a vision that He gave to Paul in response to Paul's enforced three days of prayer and fasting.  God sends one soldier into the headquarters of Jewish opposition.  

The house of Judas must have been trying to make sense of what had happened to Paul. Then Ananias shows up and restores Paul's sight. Surely those in house of Judas were converted. 

God has a plan in the midst of the trials of life.  Trust in Him at all times. 

Thanksgiving - in the midst of virus and politics and BLM, You have a plan.  It may involve judgment, but it always involves reconciliation and salvation for the elect who are currently "in the house of  Judas".  

Confession - neglecting the hope that I have been called to. When I don't see it, I refuse to wait for it with patience.  The things I hope for are not always aligned with the hope You have called me to. 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Revelation 22:3-5 Final and eternal restoration - Day 365

Dear saints in the Lord, Congratulations!  You made it.  We have been through much turmoil in the last year ('20-'21).  But God is faithful to His promises.  I trust that you have been blessed in your reading and have drawn closer to God.   Since we didn't get the blog up and running at the beginning of the challenge, I am going to go back and post entries to cover that first month or so.   Blessings, Jeff Nothing accursed in the city of God, the new Jerusalem.  The presence of sin will be gone.  I am working on memorizing Westminster Shorter Catechism and currently on question 82.  Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God but does daily break them in thought, word and deed. I think our passage today points to the truth of this question.  Do you notice how this answer is not exactly the same as the question. "Any man" bec...

Malachi 2:10-12 Here we go again!! Day 363

Good afternoon friends, As we draw to the end of the Old Testament, we see that Judah has rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, but they are following in the footsteps of faithless fathers and not in the footsteps of Abraham and ultimately God.  The exile was a low point, but now a new low is about to happen.  The prophetic voice has once again become warning and not encouraging. Faithful reading and preaching of the word is all that keeps us from losing our way.  May we be faithful in our generation. Blessings, Jeff I am sure I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating.  The section summary, chapter and verse are not in the original language.  They are all rather modern inventions to help us.  For example, the section title here is "Judah profaned the Covenant".  That is OK as far as it goes, but which Covenant?  So let's take a look. Observations Starts with 3 questions but who is asking the questions and to whom are they addre...

2 Chronicles 35:23-26 Lament for the last good king - Day 364

Good morning fellow exiles and pilgrims, One more day of devotions.  We are indeed exiles and pilgrims in this world as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  The 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacks can serve as a reminder that this world is not our home. Blessings, Jeff The lamentations for Josiah written by Jeremiah.  However, the book of Lamentations does not include any reference to Josiah as they are focused on the fall of Jerusalem.  While these lost lamentations were "made the rule" there are only 4 more kings and none of them were good like Josiah and none died in Jerusalem.  The phrase "to this day" generally refers to the time of the author (post exile).  Taken together, it may be that these laments were for the last good king and during the exile the people were longing for the next good king. Zerubbabel in a way was the next good king as temple and Jerusalem were rebuilt. But Jesus truly was the next king and He...