A poke in the side

Friends,

Over the past year or so, many of us have been jarred from positions that seemed safe, secure and comfortable. We trusted in the company, the contract or the market. And the Lord has removed those obstacles. We thought they were supporting us, but in fact they had been blocking us from trusting in the Lord.

Acts 12:7
Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. -- [NKJV]

In this passage, our brother Peter was not in a place of comfort or safety, but he was secure. He had been arrested by the reigning tyrant, Herod, and bound in chains, guarded by four squads of experienced soldiers. It seems to me that he had resigned himself to being executed by Herod for preaching the Gospel. So much so that and angel, sent by Almighty God, had to give ole Pete a good whack to get him to step out in faith. It probably hurt, and it wasn't the first time that the crusty old fisherman had to prodded into looking beyond the present circumstance so that he could see that the Lord is still working in his life.

So how does this apply to you and me? Does it feel as though you've been kicked by a mule? Have you been trusting in the world's systems and institutions for your security? Has your vision been obscured by the present circumstances? If so, then perhaps that mule wasn't a mule, but an angel of the Lord telling you to arise, to walk away from the bondage of the world, and refocus your attention on the One who declared it His mission to ...

set the captives
(that would be you and me)
free!

Be encouraged, Jose

New Beginnings

And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go. Jeremiah 40:4 [KJV]





Sometimes in our new beginnings, we are left to make a choice. God has cleared us from all past grievances and sins and given us a clean slate. Where we go from there is our choice. Like the children of Israel standing at the crossroads, they had a choice to make. Before they made the choice, the consequences of both choices were explained.





God does that for us as well. He gives us the choice and the consequences of our free will. What we do with that information is up to us. We can allow many outside influences to change our minds and influence our direction. We can also change our minds about what we are going to do. We can resist the influence of others and follow the influence of God to make sure that we reap the benefits of making the right choice on our new path. God is always at the ready for us to repent and turn to Him. His Ways are not our ways but His Beginnings can be our new beginnings.





Be Encouraged,





Martin