Loading... Acts 24:26 - MONEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN HIM
Acts 24:26 He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
Paul was a prisoner in the house of Felix. Paul had received instruction from God that just as he has preached in Jerusalem, so would he also preach in Rome. However, Paul did not find himself taking a trip to Rome, instead, he found himself a prisoner. To make matters worse, Felix knew that Paul was innocent but in order to release Paul, he first desired a bribe.
There are many excuses that Paul could have used in paying the bribe. He could have justified it by saying that the Roman Empire had provided a defense for him when they got him out of Jerusalem. Paul could have justified the bribe by saying the money he was paying was for room and board. However, for two years, Paul chose to do the honorable thing and not do anything that could taint the name of Christ.
For two years, Paul chose to patiently wait in prison. God was good to Paul and he causes Felix to give Paul some latitude to allow visitors to come and see him. We do not see in any of the writings of Paul that he became bitter as a result of being in prison. Instead of becoming bitter, Paul used his inability to go where he wanted to go when he wanted to go to write several of his letters. Paul may not have been able to preach in person, but he was able to write great spiritual truths that continue to touch the lives of believers to this day.
John Bunyan was a preacher from England who refused to stop preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a result of his refusal to stop preaching, John Bunyan found himself in prison for 12 years. John Bunyan could have curled up in a ball and complained about how life was unfair. Nonetheless, John Bunyan chose to write a book called Pilgrim’s Progress. The book Pilgrim’s Progress has touched the life of millions and next to the Bible, is one of the most purchased books in the entire world.
Life is not fair. We may have plans for our life but that does not mean that God has to follow our desires and cause everything to happen just as we desire. Instead, we need to learn that God allows certain things to happen in our lives to direct us in the way HE desires us to go. Both Paul and John Bunyan would have rather been free men out preaching the gospel. However, God allowed them to be imprisoned in order to force them to have a lasting impact on the world around them.
What are your dreams? What are your ambitions? Maybe God will open the door and allow the desires of your heart to be fulfilled one of these days. However, until the Lord opens those doors, you have an obligation to serve God right where HE has placed you today. What can you do today to encourage others to draw closer to HIM? Maybe you can write a letter, maybe you should bake a cake and take it to the neighbor, maybe you can help an old man across the street. There are plenty of things you can do today to serve the Lord.
It does not matter what it is that you desire to do that God is not blessing you with, rather than pity yourself for what is not happening in your life, you should stop and thank God for everything HE has done for you in the past. We need to change our attitude from God owes us something to how much we owe HIM. Count your blessings, name them one by one. God has a purpose for everything that HE allows in your life.