Acts 22:22-30 | in God's Handsনমুনা

In God’s Hands. In Our Hands.

This plan follows on the heels of an earlier plan spanning Acts 21:17—22:21 that’s about staying true to Christ. This week, we’re looking at the rest of Acts 22 and what happens as a result. There’s a lesson to be learned: Do what you can, but remember you’re always in God’s hands.

Acts is like that. We see God again and again miraculously guide, intervene, and rescue his people. Without God, we’re lost! That doesn’t lead to passivity. We also see God’s people doing whatever they can to live out Christ’s mission and their salvation—striving to help one another at personal cost, facing fears, risking their safety and their lives, stepping out in obedience, and sacrificing deeply for Christ and one another.

There’s a paradox here, captured in an old Christian adage that goes as far back as Augustine: “Work like it depends on you. Pray like it depends on God.”

When it comes to living for Christ, God wants us in the game, utilizing our mind, soul, body, strength, and resources. God works through that. That adage also recognizes there are forces at work in this world far bigger than anything we can tackle or handle, but that they aren’t bigger than God. He’s got it. He’s got us. And God is ultimately in control. When living out God’s kingdom, faith and works are always meant to go hand-in-hand.

Paul writes: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Phil 2:12-13, NIV).

Today, read the end of Acts 21 through 22. Look at how Paul does what he can. Look at how God is behind the scenes.

Questions:

How does knowing you are in God’s hands embolden you in life? How does it change your response to hostility? Have you ever faced rejection for your loyalty to Jesus?