Monday Devo

October 28th, 2024

Scripture:

Acts 21
4 We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.

Psalm 119
105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

Commentary:

Acts 21:4 through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. This apparently indicates some prophecies given by the Christians at Tyre. But what these disciples told Paul was wrong, because the narrative clearly shows that Paul was being guided by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem (see 19:21; 20:22–24; 21:14). Interpreters differ over how much of what these disciples told Paul was actually part of their prophesying (or speaking “through the Spirit”): (1) Some hold that this incident shows that there are two potential kinds of problems with early Christian prophecies: first that there could be mistakes in the prophecies themselves, and second that there could be mistakes in the prophet’s own interpretation. This then would be an example of why Paul commands that prophecies must be tested, that is, to guard against both (a) possible mistakes in the prophecy itself, and (b) possible mistakes in the interpretation of the prophecy (see notes on 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20–21). (2) Other interpreters hold that, although such prophecies themselves are completely accurate (because they come “through the Spirit”), there still could be mistakes in the interpretation of the prophecy. Thus, even though the prophecy is accurate, such prophecies still need to be tested. In the first case, both the prophecy and the interpretation may be wrong; in the second case only the interpretation may be wrong. In either case, all prophecies would need to be tested, as Paul commands.

Questions:

In Acts 21, once again God is speaking through different people that pain and suffering await Paul in Jerusalem. But interestingly, Paul and pretty much everyone else interpret this prophecy in opposite ways. Paul has said repeatedly that despite the suffering that is ahead, he is BOUND and COMPELLED to go to Jerusalem. But all the people that were traveling with Paul and that loved him dearly interpret that to mean he shouldn't go. He had finally had enough of their begging him, and in verse 13 he basically tells them to cut it out. At that, they gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." This should be on the lips of every believer every single day. God wants to share with you what His plan is for your life, but can you hear him? How often are you asking God what His will is for your life?
How does He speak to us? The first way Brandon discussed on Sunday was that God speaks through His WORD. This isn't the ONLY way He speaks, but it's the PRIMARY way. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path." Think of that imagery... a lamp only lights what is just ahead of your feet, while a light for the path indicates more of a flashlight to see what's ahead. His Word will lead and guide us if we'll just read it. Sometimes it will speak to us directly through a verse, sometimes indirectly through a principle. Now, that's a LONG question to get to this: How often are you in His Word? When was the last time God clearly spoke to you through Scripture?

Prayer Topics:

That you would seek God's will today.
That you would have the discipline to get in the Word.

This Week's City 7:

Try to commit to memory!

7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

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