Enduring Trials

No matter how great or small our trials are we can draw strength from the great example of how Paul lived.

Acts 24.1-27

Reference:  v.27  When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison. (NIV Bible)

Explore:  Five months ago we were searching for a new house to rent.  This is often a frustrating experience as agents are not really interested in leasing houses, they want to be buying and selling.  In the area we were looking there were so few rentals.  We had a few specific criteria for our new rental and there just seemed to be nothing in our price range. 
As I sit in my new rental five months later it is hard to understand why the process was so stressful.  However, when you are in the midst of the process you don't know when it is all going to end.  If someone had have said to me back then, "It's ok, you'll have a house in 5 weeks time" then you can endure the time, however if you don't know when it's all going to end there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Application:  Paul spent two years in prison because a decision was not made on his case.  What an incredibly long time to be waiting (my house hunt is totally insignificant compared to this).  And yet he stayed firm in his beliefs.  He did not bribe the authorities to speed up the process and he did not question his faith in God due to his treatment from others.
It puts our trials into perspective.  However no matter how great or small our trials are we can draw strength from the great example that Paul gave.  He stayed true to his faith and stuck in the hard yards of being a missionary.

Prayer:  Lord, our life is not always easy, we know that you experienced great trials on earth too.  We pray that we may stay firm in our faith in You and draw on You for strength and courage.  Amen.

Acts