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“Opposition or Harmony?”

Thoughts for Today:

Many Christians believe that if they are truly in God's will, then they should expect few troubles in their ministry. If adversity is encountered it is proof they must have somehow missed God's will. But Paul didn't look at things that way. In fact, opposition seemed to have the reverse effect upon him -- it confirmed his direction. And he experienced a lot of opposition. For example:

1. Acts 16:22-24: "The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks."

2. Acts 19:19-20: "Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him."

Most people with these same types of experiences would think they were off course and had somehow missed God's will. Where was the Lord's divine protection? Scripture comes a lot closer to teaching opposition rather than harmony as an indication of being in God's will. However, neither extreme point of view is the correct one. We must always depend on God's Word and the voice of the Holy Spirit to guide us. When we have His assurance, then we can persevere with confidence -- regardless of the circumstances.

Questions to Ponder:

How do you evaluate whether or not your ministry is in God's will? Is it based upon opposition? Sometimes obstacles are opportunities. That is Paul's perspective in our passage today: "...because a great door for effective work has opened to me...there are many who oppose me." Will you also persevere with confidence in your ministry?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.