The Ups and Downs and In-Betweens...

This morning I was reading in the Book of Acts. It's a great book. I always enjoy reading through Acts and seeing the movement, passion and zeal of the early church. This morning I was reading through chapter 14 and in that chapter Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra and when they arrive they see a lame man who had been that way from birth. The man was so in tuned to what Paul was speaking and in a quick moment Paul makes eye contact with this gentlemen and says "stand to your feet." Could you imagine that. This man has never walked before, and he was probably seen as an outcast and yet in that moment, through the power of God he jumps to his feet and begins to walk. Now you can just imagine the amazement on the faces of those who were there to witness this. They were so amazed that the crowd begin to chant "the gods have taken human form and have come down to us!" Yeah, they totally miss what has just happened, but it doesn't stop there. They begin to call Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes and they want to now offer sacrifices to them.

Now you would think this is pretty cool right, wrong! Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes run out into the middle of the crowd and try their best to instruct the crowd on where the attention needs to go, but even after their strong words of instruction it was difficult keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. If that wasn't bad enough a group of Jews show up win the crowd over and they go from cheering Paul as a god to stoning him and dragging him out of the city and leaving him for dead. I would say that is some serious ups and downs. But I love verse 20 "But after the disciples had gathered around him, he(Paul)got up and went back into the city."

Here were the take homes for me...

#1. Even in our successes don't allow people to raise us up. In all that we do we must make sure that all the glory goes to God, He is the only one that is worthy of it.

#2. Don't get caught up in the applause of me, because the very people that applaud you today can be the same ones that stone you later... It is much better to live for the audience of one!

#3. Even when we get knocked down we must be willing to get back up. Whatever it is that God has called us to we must remain undeterred and confident that "He who has begun a good work, will complete it! Don't give up!

Just some ramblings! Hope you have a great day and remember that in the ups, down and in-betweens God is there and He reigns. God Bless You.