“And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” {Acts 8:1-4}
Sometimes it could look like a situation is very grim and hopeless. Just when you think you’re doing what’s right and trying to live for God things go wrong. Take for example this passage in Acts where one of the disciples, a very good man named Stephen was just stoned to death by the zealous orthodox Jews for preaching the word of God to them, and telling them they all needed to repent. As if that wasn’t enough, here comes Saul going around to every Christian door in the neighborhood and taking everyone to prison. He actually had the authority and the power to do this and no one seemed to be able to resist him since he came with a band of people (soldiers from the Jewish leaders?) helping him out. I mean I can only imagine the horror and the sorrow the Christians were going through at that time. I wonder if they actually questioned if God was really for them, or if what they’re believing in was true or not. Was it worth all these heartaches? And yet, we don’t see that being mentioned here. I think it’s a reality they accepted. I don’t think the majority of them blamed God, at all, for their suffering. As a matter of fact, if we were to go back to chapter four in this book where the apostles were being told not to preach on the Lord’s name and were actually beaten because they disobeyed, we see them leave happy and feeling privileged that they suffered shame for the Lord’s sake. These Christians actually were happy to be serving the Lord and counted it a privilege to suffer for Christ.
But thank the Lord because the devil is not the one in control after all. Saul is not the one in control either. Nor the old orthodox Jews and elders of their religion at that time as well. Thank the Lord! He is the one in control. A couple of chapters later we see what happened to Saul. He got converted on his way to Damascus – on his way to persecute more Christians. The Lord Jesus appeared to him and rebuked him and told him basically, “Saul, why are you coming against Me? It’s hard for you to kick against a prick (or something sharp).” {Acts 9:4-5} Basically saying it’s hard for you to come against God. What a shock it was to Saul that these Christians weren’t crazy at all as he thought! They actually were serving the same God he believed in! Who knew? What a shock to his system – there he was, not only blinded by the light he saw when the Lord appeared to him, he couldn’t eat! He realized what he’s done and he refused to eat. He must have been so humbled by this realization that the Christians’ God, Jesus, was truly the Messiah they have been waiting for. That lo and behold the very thing that the Prophet Isaiah had talked about and prophesied to them about has become a reality. This must have blown his mind away. Who wants to eat when you’ve just been hit with this revelation and that God Himself – in the flesh of Jesus Christ – has appeared and spoken to you? And you realize you were so wrong.
Well, long story short, the Christians had rest. The Lord took the very evil man they were afraid of and turned him around. The Lord not only saved them from Saul, He saved Saul also. After brother Ananias came to pray for Saul so that he will receive his sight, Saul went on to be baptized and receive the Spirit of God. He went on and preached God’s word and became so zealous for Christ that the Jews he was with turned around and now planned on killing him instead. He went on to proselyte so many Jews and Gentiles alike to the name of Christ the old Jews didn’t know what to do with him. They were so incensed against him. Not only that, Saul became the Apostle Paul, who wrote practically half of the books in the New Testament. If it wasn’t for him a lot of the scriptures we quote today wouldn’t exist. If it wasn’t for him we probably wouldn’t know what being saved by grace means, or how that now we are all equal in God’s eyes – that Jew and Gentile alike are the children of Abraham, and the children of God because of Jesus Christ. We are heirs together in Christ. Isn’t that amazing?
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” {Galatians 3:28-29}
So, when it comes to our current miserable situation, let’s not conclude that just because things are bad, or worse than bad, and we’re not getting our “prayers answered”, that the Lord has forsaken us. Let’s not conclude that the devil and his cohorts and the world are the ones in control of our situation in this life just because things aren’t going our way. Let us not condemn the Lord and give up on Him just because things seem out of control in our lives. Maybe you just decided to serve the Lord and even just decided to go all out for Him and have given your heart and soul to His cause, and now this! Your life has gone from bad to worse. Cheer up. It’s not going to last. Hang in there. Give the Lord time to work things out for you because He is going to work things for you because that’s what He said in His word. Apostle Paul assured us in Romans 8:28 that, “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” If you love the Lord, if you believe He has called you to take up your cross and follow Him, then rest assured that all things are going to work out for your good.
The Lord is always in control. He is the one who will never leave us nor forsake us. If our lives are His, He will work things out for our good – even if it seems like the world is the one winning or the devil is the one winning – the Lord is still the one in control. After all when it’s all said and done, whether we live for the Lord or die in the Lord, we are the Lord’s. He will never fail us. For surely, if the Lord is for us who can be against us?
“For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” {Philippians 1:21}
