Perseverance

Acts 21:27-36
27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”

Paul Harvey's famous tagline, "And now you know the rest of the story" came after what seemed to be a little anecdote about a person, place or thing. He would start out his narratives talking about some little boy, a teenage girl, or an ordinary housewife. But usually that boy, girl, or mother would turn out to be Walt Disney, Helen Keller, or Susan B. Anthony. There was always more to the story then what was origionally presented.

Paul the Apostle is the main character of Acts. We often find Paul being accused of stiring things up; of getting people riled up. Usually, it ends with people trying to kill him. At the very least, Paul is brought before councils and sometimes beaten. But do we know the rest of the story?

Paul had witnessed something unique in the synagugues that he visited. He noticed that the non-Jews who worshipped in the synagogue were getting inspired and filled with the Holy Spirit. It wasn't so much that Paul was doing something new, God was. Paul knew that God was at work and made himself available to God's service. What happened next was life changing for Paul and world changing for those who would seek to follow what the book of Acts calls, "The Way."

The question that we need reminding of is this, "What brought us to this place where we are serving God?" We may not know what is to come, but we know "twas grace that brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home." Whatever trials, temptations, frustrations, or angry mobs (real or metaphorical) await us, we go because God has called us to follow.

Prayer: God, when times get tough, help me to remember your amazing grace that keeps me going in the bad times and the good. Amen.

G. Thomas Martin