When God Speaks into Your Circumstances
Facing Life’s Challenges – Part 3
10. And when there arose a great dissention, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
11. And the night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness also at Rome.”
Acts 23:10-11
Learning to Listen
For thousands of years, people have debated over “how” God speaks in attempt to explain God’s ways and actions. For the believer, we should not be as concerned about how God’s speaks because of the fact that we have God’s written Word that was recorded by those who honored and feared God down through the centuries. What should concern us is “how we respond” to what God has said. While we certainly should reverence the fact that God speaks to mankind, we should be more attuned to the message of God and how it impacts our lives. This means we must listen closely to the message and make every attempt to obey the Voice of the Lord. Let me go as far as to say that the same God Almighty Who spoke to Paul in the midst of his circumstances, will also speak during our times of need and share insight for us to follow His Will.
Listening to God is a key component of obedience. It is impossible for anyone to follow Christ when they are not aware of what He has said. For that reason, God speaks to our heart so that we can listen for further instructions. “Be of good cheer, Paul …” Those great words brought such hope and comfort despite the unfortunate circumstances. When we listen to God we develop a sensitivity for God’s Purpose. It is easy to think that bad situations render us useless. Have you ever felt that way? When trials and suffering times come into our lives, it depletes us of our energy, our resources, and even our sense of worth. Even longtime veterans of the faith, like Paul, are not immune to bad circumstances and the bad feelings of uncertainty that come as a result of suffering. But when God speaks, everything changes. Doubts disappear. Anxiety is removed. A sense of calmness and confidence gradually fills our mind when we hear God speaking reassuring words to our hearts. God’s Purpose is revealed when He speaks to us and one of the greatest purposes is to know that He is with us no matter what.
The words “be of good cheer” appear only seven times in the New Testament. Those words were spoken by Jesus four times to help His followers to overcome fear. Those same words were spoken to Paul in this verse. Then those same words were used by Paul three times to tell others who were gripped with the fear of losing their lives. What does this tell us about God? It declares that God does not want us to be afraid. It declares that God is preparing to do something powerful and we need to pay attention. “Be of good cheer” is a command for us to get control of our wandering thoughts and wondering heart. God spoke similar words of comfort to Joshua when he faced the tremendous task of leading the Children of Israel into Canaan. “Be strong and of good courage,” God said, “For you must lead this people into the Promised Land.” What was God doing? He was giving Joshua the assurance that the mission would not fail, that God was guaranteeing that everything would work out. What was God telling Paul? God was saying that his mission would be accomplished and that God’s Presence would always be with him. What is God telling us? God is assuring us that our mission won’t fail, our life is valuable to Him, and that we will have the strength to make it through. That is good news!
Some years ago, Pastor and vocalist Marvin Winans wrote a song titled, “Let the Church Say Amen.” It was an appropriate response of the Church to express a willingness to listen to the Lord and to seek to carry out His Will. More important, was for the Church to take heed in order to follow God’s command. In other words, don’t get so carried away with the miraculous expression of God’s Voice but rather get prepared to receive a clear understanding of the content of God’s Message. When God utters His Voice, we as believers must be on high alert. Listen, as God reveals His Power over any and everything that opposes His sovereign authority. As in the beginning, God utters His Voice over the darkness and commands for light and understanding to be revealed. The Apostle Paul was experiencing a dark time in his life and did not know what would take place next. He knew that God had an agenda and a purpose, but the rest was a mystery. Then God spoke to remind Paul that His Power was already at work in his situation. It is no wonder that the Apostle would write to the Church at Corinth, “God’s Strength (Power) is perfected in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9. We are weak but God is strong.
When God speaks, believers must also listen in order to receive God’s Plan. As events unfold in life, it can become chaotic and confusing. While Paul confessed that he was on trial because he was called in question as a result of the hope and resurrection of the dead, some of his accusers were still determined to kill him. Imagine how Paul felt after giving his best defense and his opponents were still determined to end his life. While we may not face that level of opposition, the threat of harm is all around us and can easily cause that same anxiety. That is when we stop focusing on the enemy’s plan and we turn our attention to God’s Plan. The Lord stood by him, and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness also at Rome.” It was reassuring to know that The Lord would not only stand by Paul to reveal His Power but would also give him an opportunity to be His witness at Rome. Isn’t that amazing? Who else but an amazing God could turn a confusing situation into a certain future?
How does it make you feel when God confirms your future? First, there is the sense of confidence that God knows what’s ahead. While many struggle with acknowledging that God knows their current circumstances, God speaks to not only clarify His Presence, He also affirms and makes clear His Plan. Jeremiah 29:11, tells of God speaking to the nation of Israel as they were about to go into captivity to Babylon. “I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord, “plans of peace and not evil, to give you an expected end.” God had plans that extended beyond the captivity. Some might be led to question whether the captivity was a part of the plan. It was. If God had not punished Israel for their idolatry, they would have abandoned God’s Law and worship altogether and would have ceased to exist as a nation. We, as Gentiles, would not have had a Savior and would have been lost for all eternity. Make no mistake, God knew what He was doing. With that, you can also have that same confidence that Almighty God knows what He is doing in your life. Instead of taking heed to the crisis, fix your mind on God’s Promise and be of good cheer. For Paul, this meant the beginning of a new adventure in God’s Grace and looking forward in faith. He even wrote to the Church at Rome about the future plans. Romans 1:13, I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. That journey to Rome started the same night when God spoke to Paul and offered him encouragement in his time of crisis.
Responding with Cheer
In our culture, the words “be of good cheer” don’t really ring a bell. Some would not have a clue as to what God meant by that statement. We would be more responsive to the words, “I got this” or perhaps “it’s going to be alright.” Even with those responses, would that really clarify God’s Plan, Purpose, and Power? So what does it really mean when God says to be of good cheer? We might be led to think that this is referring to a state of happiness or even calmness. While it certainly embraces those virtues, “being of good cheer” is not merely a state of mind or attitude. God was commanding Paul to take his courage from those words. We must consider first, who is speaking? This was the Lord. Imagine hearing God’s voice over all the echoes and screams of the angry mob. Imagine hearing God’s voice versus the Sanhedrin court who only saw Paul as a traitor worthy of death. Imagine hearing God’s voice over the doubts of his own mind. Please remember, Paul was human just like all of us, and those same inner voices that taunt us were probably speaking threats to his heart. But God spoke loudly and clearly into his life. This was that inner voice; that quiet voice, that comforting voice of the Lord that calms all fears. It was the Lord. No one else had authority over Paul’s life but God Almighty. Here is the main point: no one has authority to speak over you except God. When something or anyone attempts to declare your future, you need to not listen to that voice but listen to God’s Voice. Even if someone is sharing vital information with you, you must immediately call on God and ask Him to speak His Word. Remember, we live by God’s Word.
Not only is it a matter of who is speaking, but also of the meaning of the message. What is God saying? “Be of good cheer?” How is that accomplished. If you recall when God spoke to Elijah the Old Testament prophet, it was a message to stop running from. Elijah ran all the way to Mt. Horeb to get away from Jezebel. For many people “fright calls for flight.” Just get away from everything. That is not the attitude for a child of God. God spoke to Elijah to “go back.” Elijah obeyed because he heard God speak into his life the confidence that was needed. That is what we get when we are in a state of “good cheer.” By the way, you don’t solve problems by running away. You solve problems by listening to God.
God has spoken, now what? Some would think that it would be up to the listener to generate the energy to be of good cheer. Others would assume that to be of good cheer requires no action at all. Just sit back and watch. Both of those interpretations would be far off the mark of God’s Decree. Notice I said, God’s Decree. God has rendered a verdict over the situation. God has heard your case and decreed that you should “be of good cheer.” The Lord stood by him, and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness also at Rome.” God had decreed that Paul must go to Rome, but he had to have the right frame of mind in order to carry out that order. So, God decreed for Paul to have “Good Cheer.” I have always said, you cannot present what you do not possess. Paul got cheer because God gave it to him.
God has spoken, act accordingly. While it is not within human power to create the attitude and mindset of cheer, it is up to humans to receive it. Just because God gives it does not automatically mean we take it in. Take cheer as your prized possession. Put it in its rightful place and it will accomplish what it is intended to do in one’s life. Paul applied that same cheer on his way to Rome. When they encountered a fourteen-day storm of hurricane force winds, Paul gave the other 275 travelers what he possessed. He gave them the cheer that God gave to him. Remember, you cannot present what you do not possess.
God has spoken, let others know about it. Isn’t that what the Gospel is all about? My thoughts are that so many of us feel that we must know everything before we can tell anything. That is not true. Just know what God has done in your life. Tell what you know and tell it with enthusiasm. Quit trying to give the testimony of Professor So and So or Theologian Got it Right. Just tell what Christ means to you and how you discovered His Grace. If you have the Joy of the Lord, then by all means, share it with those who need it. As the words of that old hymn commanded, let people know there’s a bright side. You may not sing like angels, you may not preach like Paul, but you can tell the Love of Jesus. You can say He died for all.
Let the Church say, “Amen.”