“While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.” Acts 21:31.
Sometimes, we don’t have to go looking for trouble; trouble just seems to find us. While in Jerusalem, Paul was apprehended by Jewish authorities, who sought to do away with him. Paul wasn’t looking for trouble; it just followed him wherever he went. Here in Jerusalem, while Paul sought to follow the instructions of his elders and do what he thought God desired for him to do, the citizens of Jerusalem sought to kill him. News of the crowd’s uproar came to the attention of the commander of the Roman guard, and he stepped in to deal with the explosive situation. God used this commander and his troops to deliver Paul from the trouble that he faced with the crowd.
When we face troubles of various kinds, God can deliver us from them, if He so desires. Or He can deliver us through the troubles, knowing that in the process, we become more transformed to His image. While God chose not to deliver me from the severe pain I have been experiencing, He is using these troubles to (hopefully!) make me more like Him. I didn’t have to go looking for this trouble to happen, yet God allowed it to happen and is using it to transform my heart to be a bit more like His. Paul didn’t go looking for a fight, yet God used the situation for His purposes, and Paul was a willing servant to do God’s bidding.
Questions to consider: How do you respond when troubles come into your life? How willing are you to go through various troubles in order for God’s purposes to be fulfilled through you?
Prayer: Father, it is my desire to be your servant, willing to go through whatever circumstances or troubles necessary for Your purposes to be fulfilled. Amen.
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