Little Heart in a Big City

You all have heard stories of people trying to make it big in even bigger cities. New York City, Chicago, Detroit, etc. You probably heard of how people eventually faded into the vast expanse of life, and sometimes of people striking it big. Nevertheless, you know for sure that big cities are cruel and cold and unforgiving. Now imagine Rome, the New York City of Europe way back when. Remember a few weeks ago, when I wrote about the fight that erupted in the Sanhedrin, and we all wondered what would happen when he went to big, bad, Rome? Well, read this passage:

Acts 28:11-31

Amazing, isn’t it? Paul was persecuted in Jerusalem by the Jewish people, and the commotion that he stirred there should have been nothing compared to what would happen in Rome, which is known to be unforgiving to those who preach God’s word. But that’s not the case here. Remember when God told Paul to not fear, for He was with Paul? Well God kept his promise, of course. Paul received a relatively warm welcome from the leader of the Jews in Rome. When he went to preach the good news of Jesus, he was successful at winning hearts for Christ. Of course there would be opposition, but none that matched the magnitude of what occurred at the Sanhedrin. Paul was able to settle in Rome for 2 whole years preaching the Word of God to the citizens of Rome. This passage should be an encouragement for all of us, because God has made a similar promise to us. When we became part of His family, He told us that we would be protected, and that He would be with us until the end of time. With that in mind, we should have no fear in speaking the Lord’s word. More than speaking, we should have no fear in living the Lord’s word. God had done amazing works in Paul, even when he was in Rome, even after he had been so discouraged after the Sanhedrin fiasco. God has a plan for you, and just because you have been struggling or have failed in one regard does not mean that God has forgotten about you. Remember, when one door closes, many more open. Ask God to show you these doors, and ask for the courage and the trust to let God take you where He wants you. With God at our side, how can we fail?

PRAYER CALENDAR
Thursday: Pray for the church (small c)
Thank God for the church, that he has provided us a place to gather and worship him