“’But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the
Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.’” Acts 25:21.
In presenting Paul to King Agrippa, Festus explained how
he was going to let Paul go free, except that Paul, as a Roman citizen, made
his appeal to Caesar, which meant that it was mandatory for him to be sent on
to Rome to have his trial heard by the Emperor. Paul wasn’t too concerned as to what “court”
he was appealing to, for he knew firmly within his heart the stamp of approval
he had received from the highest court there is – the court of the Almighty
God. Paul was only concerned about what
his God thought of him, and because of that, he didn’t worry about going before
Caesar.
I have wondered at times how confident I am concerning
God’s stamp of approval on my life. I
know that there have been times when I was really nervous about sharing my
belief in Jesus within the courts of the opinion of the people within my
world. This insecurity and fear of
rejection can be paralyzing! Yet, I
recall the extremes that God went to in order to make the hope of His kingdom
available to me and to all people, and I realize His great love and approval of
who I am in Christ Jesus. This emboldens
me to present Jesus for who He is, as Lord and Savior of my life, and it
strengthens me to represent His kingdom here on earth.
Questions to consider: How concerned are you about the
verdict given to you by God? How do you
feel you represent God to those around you?
What can you do to improve your representation of the King?
Prayer:
Father, Your power and Your rule far overshadows that of any Caesar or ruler in
any time period. And yet, You have
approved of me. I am humbled by Your
choosing and I seek to represent You as Your ambassador. Amen.
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