Connecting life’s dots . . .

Yesterday God’s word was about the way God leads, using everything for His purposes. Nothing is coincidence. I titled my record of this, “God led me all the way” based on an old hymn and put the words of that hymn at the end I wrote. When I came downstairs to post it, iTunes radio was playing “God led me all the way.” I’ve not heard that hymn for at least 40 years! Coincidence? I don’t think so. It was God smiling!

The book I’m reading says that Acts gives background for Paul’s epistles. Whatever happened to him in his missionary journeys offers insight into the letters he later wrote to the churches he founded and visited. Today, the focus is on Philippi. Acts tells what happened when he went there. This is a brief outline from chapter 16:

We set sail from Troas (winding up in) Philippi . . . where we remained some days. On Sabbath day we went . . . to the riverside . . . a place of prayer and . . .  spoke to the women there. One was . . .  Lydia from Thyatira, a seller of purple goods who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to Paul’s words. She and her household were baptized. She urged us, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.”

As we later went to pray, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination. Her owners made money by her by fortune-telling ability. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” She did this for many days. Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

When her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them . . .  before the magistrates saying, “These men are Jews, disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”

The crowd joined in attacking them. The magistrates tore their garments off and ordered them to be beaten with rods. When they had inflicted many blows, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. He put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake that shook the prison’s foundations. Immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul loudly cried, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer . . . brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” speaking God’s Word to them all. The jailer . . .  washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he took them home, fed them and rejoiced.

The magistrates sent police telling them they were free to go. However, Paul said, “They have beaten us publicly without reason. We are Roman citizens they threw into prison and now they throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”

This terrified the magistrates so they apologized, then released them. They visited Lydia, encouraged all the believers, then left. (Acts 16:11–40)

Later, Paul wrote the epistle Philippians to the believers in that city from his imprisonment in Rome. It was a letter of joy, telling them that being in prison advanced the Gospel throughout the imperial guard and that other Christians became bold to speak the Word. He told them several times to rejoice in the Lord, press on in faith, and keep their eyes confidently on Jesus. His experience showed him that they could:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4–7)

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I can see that it was no coincidence that Paul was first jailed in Philippi — he could write this letter of rejoicing from another jail to the believers there, encouraging them! This man was an expert at connecting the dots and seeing Your hand leading him through life. He knew that in any and every circumstance, the secret of facing whatever happened was the reality of Your care . . . “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:10–13)

Walking on a sea of fire

Looking back, I can see how the events of the past are built into the fiber of the present. God has directed all that happened to me for His purposes, including the unpleasant trials, and even my own errors and foolish choices. While I cannot blame Him for my disobedience and mistakes, He has graciously used all things for my good.

Today’s devotional points to the way God mixes past events with grace to give energy to His peace and rest. That is, resting in Christ has nothing to do with being a couch potato!

The image in this passage is a sea of glass, calm and serene, but mingled with fire. In the Bible, fire is often a symbol of judgment, but also of refining, and even zeal for God. In this verse, the devotional author sees rest mingled with that fiery zeal.

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. (Revelation 15:1–2)

He points to Peter, a forgiven follower who preached the first sermon, was involved in the conversion of the first Gentiles, and became a champion of faith. Yet he is the same man who denied his Master and struggled with his denial as Jesus was crucified. His past no doubt had an effect on his fire for God.

He also considers Paul who was taken to the third heaven and sees awesome things, but never ceases to be the one who stood by at Stephen’s stoning. His past mingled with the peace of God became the fire in his ministry.

Each of us who have turned homeward to our Father carry with us memories of what it was like to be empty, hungry and eating pig food. As God’s saved children, we cannot (and dare not) forget that we were once lost. This can be seen in this graphic picture of a “sea of glass mixed with fire.” It suggests rest pervaded with activity, contemplation stirred by zealous service in the kingdom of God.

Some think heaven will mean idleness after our earthly battles with sin, yet this cannot be true any more than life here becomes idle when a spiritual battle is won. We are made to serve God with lively enthusiasm, an enthusiasm that increases after each victory. Heaven would not be heaven without the rest that God gives, but also without the activity that is part of a totally purified life.

This week, my degree course asks the question: What is Jesus doing now? The simple answer is that He is sitting at the right hand of the Father, but He is also forever interceding for us, and in some wonderful and mysterious way is present in the life of each Christian, guiding and helping each follower. That means He is busier now than He ever was while here on earth, yet more at rest for He has made our salvation complete. The sacrifice was made, atonement was accomplished; it is finished. But the work of His Body, the church, goes on, and He is right in the middle of that work.

Jesus shows us our future. What is happening with Him right now will also happen with us. We will sit down to rest beside that glassy sea; our battles are over. Be we will also be filled with fiery energy for whatever He gives us to do.

May God grant grace today so I can be more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. In that victory, may my rest in Him and my zeal to serve Him also increase. May I begin even now to walk with him in white on the sea of glass mixed with fire.