Day Four: Nothing Wasted

Before You Begin:  Read Acts 5:27-42 

The Apostles Persecuted

The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead – whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Stop and Consider: “But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men”

Questions Asked of Me: Who are some of the people that have had the greatest influence on your life, and what do you most respect about them?

My Parents: I had no idea to what extent their influence reached until just two years ago. I feel it fair to mention that I am 43 years old and that isn’t something that I brag about or speak of lightly.

My daddy pushed me hard and even to this day I hold his opinion in the highest esteem. A lot of the reason that I let so much time go between contact with them was because of this perception. I was ashamed of my behavior and, even though there were 2500 miles between us, could not “face” what would surely be disapproval. I felt the same way when I tried to ask Jesus for forgiveness….ashamed of my past and not worthy of forgiveness. I will not forget, early in my relationship with Jesus, a homework assignment that my dad gave to me, saying simply: “Read John”. It was a start. I read John over and over, not wanting to be inundated with things I couldn’t understand but also knowing that my daddy told me to “Read John” and with each page turned, I felt closer to him.

My mom is the woman I most want to be like and I don’t say that lightly either, considering that I wanted to get as far away from her and the small town I grew up in, as quickly as I could. Maybe we were too much alike for our own good and the more of her that I saw in me, the more I wanted to change it. She is the person I most emulated early in my relationship with Jesus. She was the only Christian I really knew and one that I knew would not lead me down the wrong path. I could only copy her until I began to learn and see things for myself; forming my own opinions about truth in the bible but still following her example and being led by her direction.

The greatest thing I respect about them both (although this may sound selfish) is that they never gave up on me. They had such a closeness with Jesus that they had faith that I would come around one day and they were going to be there for it; twelve years and counting.

THAT is the kind of faith I am looking for in participating in this study about Paul by Beth Moore. Unwavering faith in Him; not just when things are going well but when what you pray for is completely out of your control and you know that Jesus has his hand in it even if the person you pray for…does not.

My best friend Lynnette: She was the first friend I found in my new playground that Jesus led me to; my church I called home until just a couple of weeks ago. She was the quietest of women in my first bible study attended there. We had nothing in common but Him and that was all we needed. She helped me find my voice while finding her own. She taught me confidence in him and I like to think that He showed her how to be more bold through me. We are the perfect pair and I say that just because without Jesus, we would never have met or become as close as we are.

I respect her opinion. I trust her implicitly. I love to hear her talk about her husband and kids, her mom and her sister, and I love to see her interact with other women at bible studies or small groups. People trust her and seek her opinion as I do. I am grateful for her every day and even though we no longer live just ten minutes apart, I know that our friendship will continue to grow because of how we were brought together and the fact that Jesus is the center of our conversations and we fuel each other in our love for Him.

Name one or two of the best pieces of godly advice you’ve ever received. What has God enabled you to do (or protected you from doing) as a result of knowing and applying this?

From the pastor of the first church we attended, Pastor Bill DesRochers.: He told me “Read Job. If you think you have it bad….just read Job and see how truly blessed you are to JUST be in the circumstance you are in” AND he also said…. “There are those of us that God knows get the message the first time and then there are people like us…. the ones that get the message but have to do a little footwork too. God knows that sometimes if we don’t have to put a little action into it; we will feel as if we got away with something. And, before you know it…. We are right back to where He rescued us from.” I did just as he said. I trusted Pastor Bill and he was right. I have thought of that afternoon nearly every day for the past two years. I have even lived my life by “Faith and Footwork” until lately…. Ugh….. lately.

Even though we don’t attend that church anymore, and haven’t in nearly two years, I know that God has enabled me to do great things because I listened to the first pastor He put in front of me. I think God has trusted me with a lot since those days of uncertainty and I KNOW He doesn’t like to see me struggle as I have been doing “lately”.

Detour: I am grateful for walls of books to choose from for “times such as these.” I am glad for this book of Paul on faith for asking me these questions and helping me to realize how I got to where I am right now; for allowing me to remember the people in my life that have encouraged and influenced me along my journey so far.

I love that Beth dragged Galatians into her reading today… “One of the most wonderful concepts in the Word of God concerns the plan He has for our lives. In Galatians 1:15, Paul described God as the One “who from my mother’s womb set me apart and called me by His grace.” Yes, God had a plan for Saul from birth. Nothing in the young man’s life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it.”

Wow…. Really? Nothing wasted. I used to compare myself to my sisters. They never messed up as much as I had. One practically came out of the womb loving Jesus; at least that is how I remember it although I have been told she had her moments.  I wanted to be like them; not leaving the small town we grew up in, still with their first husbands and cancer free.

I messed up…a lot. I compared myself to people… a lot. But Jesus tells me that isn’t what he meant for me at all. Nowhere in his plan did anything of that come up. My breast cancer, my divorces, my bad decisions; one after another…. THOSE were all part of his plan for me. So I guess I am right on track.  =)

He is using me, all of me; my insecurities, my mess ups, and my mistakes ALL for His glory. Who, but Jesus could see that coming?

Praying God’s Word Today: Lord, Your Word says, “Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him” (1 Cor. 8:1-3). May I not just study Your Word to learn things and accumulate insights, but rather to know You and increase my love for You. I want the full benefit of what Your Word can teach me. May nothing -  may nothing – be wasted!

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

“We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something, does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.”

Dear Jesus:

No amount of degrees can teach me what I can learn from Your Word and those that you put in my path. My life is not where I thought it would be growing up, but I didn’t think I would ever have a relationship like the one with you, to change that vision. I will continue to be obedient to you and listen to the advice given by those you show me; my parents, my husband, my best friend. I love that I found this book all over again and it is no longer a pretty fixture to fill space on my bookshelf. You know that these books will all have a time and place and I am grateful for this one.

Thank you for making me feel like I am useful to you and that nothing in my past, present, or future will be wasted.

Love,

Me