Acts 22:22-30 | in God's Handsনমুনা

God Will Handle What You Can’t

Paul’s appeal to his Roman citizenship worked. Even more, it rattled them. You can hear the fear and disbelief in the dialogue.

When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains (Acts 22:26-29, NIV).

God can turn the tables on those who oppose his plans and purposes. Once the commander realizes Paul’s Roman citizenship, fear shifts from Paul to his accusers. God can reverse situations in an instant. Threats lose power when God’s authority is revealed.

Not that this solved everything. Not knowing what to do, Acts tells us that, “The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them” (Acts 22:30, NIV).

How would this go? What would happen here? It was out of Paul’s control. But not out of God’s.

Paul’s actions sparked fear in the Romans, but the outcome? That would be in God’s hands. It’s good to remember that God calls us to act faithfully, even shrewdly, using what opportunities God has given us. But it’s God who changes hearts and outcomes. Honor God. Do what you can. Trust God with the results. Maybe our prayer in times like these should be, “Lord, teach me to work faithfully, but trust fully in your control.”

And let’s remember something else. The powers of this world are limited. God’s authority is unlimited. The commander orders Paul to be flogged, thinking fear and brute force will reveal truth. Yet, God’s authority will overrule human plans. Just as Jesus told Pilate, no authority exists unless given from above. Paul is safely in God’s hands.

Questions:

When has God flipped a situation you thought was hopeless? How can you rest in Jesus’s authority while still being active in obedience? Are you holding onto something you need to release to God?