The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and
Silas’s clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. Acts 16:22 (MSG)
If you’re anything like me, somewhere in your psyche exists
an idea that if you do all the right things, the end result should be a
favorable one. A carefully followed
recipe should result in an eatable meal.
A perfectly rolled curve ball should knock down all 10 bowling
pins. A flawless jump shot should
advance your basketball team by 2 points.
However, sometimes we can do all the right things yet the end result has
us throwing away a disastrous meal, rolling a gutter ball or seeing the
basketball bounce off the rim.
None of those things can compare to what Paul and Silas went
through but the principle remains the same.
Their situation all started with a slave girl who was possessed by an evil
spirit. The evil spirit gave her the
ability to predict the future, and her owners exploited her for that.
One day, Paul, who was accompanied by Silas, casted out the evil spirit. The girl was then doubly freed. She
was free from of being possessed and free from being exploited. This was by all accounts the right thing to
do. However her owners weren't too happy with losing their money maker and incited a rite
against Paul and Silas. The end result
had both of them stripped, publicly beaten and thrown into jail.
Today let us remain determined to follow the right instructions, perform the right tasks and simply do the right thing - even if the result is not what we hope or expect. Let us keep in mind James 1:2-4, consider
it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trails of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you
may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (NIV)
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