How Much Longer?

All I can say is WOW! Paul is such an example for us to follow. This past year has been really difficult for my family, and I have to admit I have found myself many times asking God why and what's up with this?. What God has shown me through all of this is a better understanding of His sovereignty. I think that is one of the lessons we can learn from Paul in this passage. He had such a firm grasp on the sovereignty of God. He knew God was in control of his situation, and made the most of the opportunities God gave him to minister to others during his time of incarceration. How I pray as I continue to grow in my walk with God that I can be as selfless as Paul and in my trials allow Jesus to shine to show the way to others. Thank you Tammy for P4. It has been a light and help for me this past year.
Julie

To be on God's "timetable" was an excellent description of the Apostle's life. He was in perfect sync with the Lord, and nothing phased him. Other men/women of God throughout the ages have found that "sweet-spot" of perfect rest in the Lord. As you admitted, as well as myself too; sometimes we get impatient and stressed when things don't go as we expect. I guess the answer and/or solution is in the amount of ourselves we surrender to the Lord and trust Him.

We need to stop focusing on our external conditions. I know that I can get myself so worked up when things aren't going exactly the way I want them to go. Back in the '60s we said, "Go with the flow." That's what Christians should do. But within that "flow" we must continually deepen our relationship with Christ.

I also got a kick out of Festus. He was presented with the ultimate question in life: whether Christ lives, or Christ died. He summed up his dilemma like this, "Being at a loss how to investigate these questions..."

As Christians, we need to give people the tools they need so they will not "be at a loss" when it comes to investigating whether Christ lives or not.

We have to remember that God created time for our sake, but He is not restricted by it as we are. We only have a little portion of the big picture - He has the rest. So we have to trust God and rest in Him, knowing that He has everything under control. One other thing; keep looking for the blessings He gives day by day - they are often little and right under our noses. If we keep looking for the big things, we miss how God is blessing us and is at work in our lives - in the details! A painting is made one brush stroke at a time. The end result is the masterpiece.

Tami, Julie and Ed J thanks for your comments. Paul is a great example of trusting in God and he never gave up no matter what befell him. Our greatest example however, is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ who shed His blood and died on the Cross at Calvary and rose on the third day so we can have salvation and life eternal if, we believe in Him. During Jesus' time on earth the Jews came to Him while He was in the temple in Solomon's porch and said, "How long dost thou make us doubt? If You be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and yet ye believe not: the works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not my sheep, as I said unto you". John 10:24-26. These people saw, heard and questioned Jesus but for some reason they just did not believe Him.

We have not seen Him, yet we believe, because we have God's Inspired Word, The Bible. We must keep reading It and pray always because His coming was prophesied long before He came into the world as Man. His disciples who knew Him, wrote about Him and Paul, who was on his way to Damascus to persecute His (Jesus's) people found Christ on the way. He did not know Jesus until that day on the road to Damascus. So let us continue to persevere, trust in Him and He guarantees no one can pluck us from His or His Father's hand. That is a promise and we must continue to live in hope for His second coming in glory and power.
Let us stay blessed by reading God's Word.

People are "imprisoned" by many things and to ask why is inevitable. For some people the question hurts horribly and they can't grasp that concept because they are hurting emmotionally with various things, the worst probably being depression. For those people it requires people who do understand both the concept AND the situation to stand beside them as God's ambassadors, and remind them daily them of God's love and timing. People who have gone through similar situations have been put through it to help people battling it.

By this time Paul had been imprisoned for two years, yet it would still be several years before he had his time in court. It takes special people to help people understand and make it through those long times of "why, Lord?", especially when the problem has gone on for many, many years.

Just the other day I was thinking of how much God has blessed me and a main part of my blessing was because I waited on Him. God blessed me with 2 healthy/beautiful girls on His schedule and I'm glad I waited for His perfect timing. Paul's ordeal teaches me that during our season of 'waiting' we can also share our testimony with others- every day that He grants us is an opportunity to give Him the glory and through us, to demonstrate His love to others.
I also think that when we're questioning God about 'what's up with that' or 'why not NOW God' that in fact we aren't ready. When we take the time to be still, focus on others, and wait on Him, then He can bless us abundantly.

Thank you tami for this message and I praise God for Him using you and your ministry to deliver this message to me. I apologize for the late response but as I read this passage, it hit me like a hammer hitting the head of a nail. Paul is a perfect example of living in christ and through him, I can learn how to take the situations, in my life, as blessings from God and a way to fulfill his purpose. Paul's patience reminded me that I need to trust God more and trust that everything will happen on His time. My bickering and complaining is only making it worst. I have graduated a year ago wtih a nursing degree and haven't been able to find a job. At times, I will let that situation take me down emotionally and mentally. My friends can just take a look at me and see that there is something wrong. But through it all, I have been taking for granted how God has been providing me with means of living. Janice couldn't have said it better when she described this as a painting starting off with tiny strokes and ending up in a masterpiece. Right under my nose, God has been supplying me with ways to eat, dress and just living out my day,without me having a job,but I never saw this until now. I should be on my knees, praising this awesome God for my situation and that He has taken control. I now know that His time is the only time,and that he will move when He feels it's right to move. I just need to trust him and not be afraid that I am going be financially deprived. I need to trust Him and not be afraid that my bills are overdue because so far, it has been a year and everything is working out ok. Just because it's not where I want it to be doesn't mean that God let me go. He has always been there and is still working in my life to fulfill his purpose. I will continue to reread this passage when I feel that I'm drowning in disappointment and when the devil tries to convince me that this is not true. Pauls patience and trust is a perfect example that I need to wait in love,compassion, no anger, or bitterness for what God has in store for me. Thank you Lord.

As I was doing some catchup, I read this passage (after being struck by your brief comment, Tami!). It spoke peace to my spirit & soul regarding a chronic struggle I have with situations in teamwork years ago, upon which my soul loves to dwell - how much these things negatively affected my career - what I should have said - ad infinitum - and Paul was simply accepting that Caesarean jail as his new place of service. In fact, you could even hear wheels turning in his head: "I'm done in Jerusalem, so I don't want to go back there; in Caesarea I've almost gotten through the guard roster explaing the Gospel; and now I have an opportunity to get into Caesar's jail! Who else but God could have arranged THAT!!?