Pray:
I know You are the God who speaks in the whisper. Help me to quiet myself enough to hear You, Lord.
Read:
Acts 21:37-22:5
Reflect:
How has God positioned you for the sake of the Gospel?
The centurion who had arrested Paul and taken him away for his own protection (33,35) was stunned when he spoke to him in Greek (37). The Jews were equally surprised when Paul spoke to them in their own language (2).
It is no mistake that God chose Paul. As both a Jew and a Roman he draws the grudging respect of both audiences by using only the facts of his upbringing. He is not just any Roman citizen, but one from a prestigious university town (39); nor is he any ordinary Jew, but a zealot--the most fervent of all the Jews, and trained by a famous teacher (3).
Paul's birth and talents gave him the opportunity to be the mouthpiece for the Gospel with these people in this time. So it is now. God sees us. He knows where and when we were born. He uses our talents and our situation. Or, as Francis de Sales (1567-1622 and Bishop of Geneva) said, "Bloom where you are planted" (1 Cor. 7:17-24).
Apply:
God has put you in unique situations for his sake. Consider the opportunities that God has given you and use them.
Pray:
Precious Savior, thank You for coming near to me. Help me bring You near to others.
