Reading your Bible for today May 13

May 13: Acts 26:12-15

KJV Key Verse: Acts 26:14
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Devotion:
In many respects we would love to see such a sight as Saul (Paul) being confronted by Jesus. We would love to see how a person could so quickly change their tune as they were confronted by the absolute truth. But in some respects, we are still like Saul in the way we act even with Christ already on our side!

There are always two ways of going about a task that is unpleasant. The one way is to rush into it and to get it over with as soon as possible; just so you can get it over with. The second way is to approach the problem slowly and to make sure you avoid the hard parts one by one so you can reach the goal without “too much damage”. Much like trying to negotiate a big bush of thorns. If you try to rush through it, you will come out with a whole rash of scratches. If you go at it slowly, you will feel every single scratch, but you will probably come out with a whole lot less damage!

We may stand back from the bush and think it is not possible to get through. Or, we may well stand fast and be determined to get through knowing that we will be able to bend most of the branches out of the way. But there is always another way, one which will not always strike us at first. Enlist the help of a friend. Get them to help hold back the branches whilst you get through!

We may think it is difficult to continue as a Christian because of all the thorns of life which stand in our way. We certainly do not want to rush forward because we can see how dense the thorn bush is. The only way we can go through is by approaching life's thorns one at a time and asking Christ to be there with us to hold some of them back. We will not be able to see some of them as we go through, but He can guide us through. He won't be standing on the outside looking in, He will be by our sides helping all the way through. It is that absolute truth, held in God's Word, which we can stand on knowing Christ will be with us no matter what we have to go through. He is faithful to be there even when we give in or fade!

Points to Ponder:
How open are you with your friends?

Do you still try to hide things from God?