Acts 23:11 — The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”
Paul was arrested outside the temple because he had been falsely accused of defiling the temple by bringing Gentiles there. Eventually, Paul was handed over to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish governing body, for questioning. The high priest Paul struck on the mouth after Paul uttered one sentence, since he assumed Paul to be guilty.
After that, Paul provoked a controversy between the two major factions in the Sanhedrin, and a fight broke out, so the Romans brought him back to their barracks for confinement and protection, since Paul was a Roman citizen. Paul did not know what was going to happen to him, but Jesus did, so He came and spoke to Paul.
Jesus said, “Take courage!” Take courage means to receive divine assurance and peace that comes from faith in God. Jesus was offering the assurance of His presence and the blessing of His peace. Jesus told Paul to just keep doing what he had always done, which was tell people about Jesus. Paul could have confidence that, although he was in deep trouble, he was there because he had been doing what pleased the Lord.
Christians need assurance and peace from Jesus. We often wonder, “Am I doing the right thing? Am I where I am supposed to be? Am I in the will of God?” Jesus assures us in His Word that as long as we are doing our best to walk by faith in His commandments, we can rest assured that He is well-pleased with us.
Jesus does not want us to be anxious about our relationship with Him. He is not a fickle boyfriend who will break up with us because we are not perfect. Jesus wants us to have peace in our relationship with Him. He will let us know if there is something in our lives that needs to change, and then He will make the change. The Lord stands near us, like He stood near to Paul, and His Spirit whispers, “Take courage! I am with you. Have faith and follow Me. I am your peace.”
02/07/2025 Devotional
"Jesus does not want us to be anxious about our relationship with Him.Jesus wants us to have peace in our relationship with Him. He will let us know if there is something in our lives that needs to change, and then He will make the change."
Proverbs 8:9-11 NLT
[9] My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. [10] Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. [11] For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.
02/07/2025 묵상
"예수님은 우리가 그분과의 관계에 대해 불안해하기를 원치 않으십니다. 예수님은 우리가 그분과의 관계에서 평화를 누리기를 원하십니다. 그분은 우리 삶에 변화가 필요한 것이 있다면 알려주시고,그러면 주님께…