Reading for today
Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 2, 3, 4
New Testament: Acts 25
Thoughts from today’s reading
1 Chronicles 1. The book of Chronicles lists out names and genealogies of people that were relevant to the reign of the kings of Israel and Judah.
1 Chronicles 4:9-10. The mother of Jabez named him because of the painful birth she had. His name meant ‘this one will cause pain’. Jabez prayed that the outlook of his life would not be one that caused pain and God heard him and granted his request.
Your life will always transition from where people had responsibility over you to where you have responsibility for yourself. What others did to you when you were under their authority becomes irrelevant once you take your place of responsibility for yourself and make your own requests for your future before the God of heaven and earth.
Acts 25:10-12. The Jews were still plotting to kill Apostle Paul after 2 years of being imprisoned. When they came to the new governor and requested for him to be brought back to Jerusalem, Paul refused to be tried at Jerusalem but appealed to go to the court of Caesar in Rome.
Paul remembered the revelation of Jesus to him 2 years back that he would testify of Christ in Jerusalem and then in Rome (Acts 23:11). Going back to Jerusalem was against that vision because he had already given his testimony of Christ there, so he had to speak up and declare he would go to Rome. It seems Paul was stuck at Caesarea because he did not speak out the vision Christ gave him, but once he said that he would go to Rome, the decision was made by the governor to send him there.
Prayer
1. Heavenly Father, I thank you that you have given me responsibility for my life and every outcome can be determined by my interaction with You. It is what You sanction that will stand in my life and so I come to You and ask that any pronouncement made by anyone which contradicts Your will for my life will fail in Jesus name. I receive all the help of heaven to live a life that overflows with victory and praise in Jesus’ name, amen.
2. Lord Jesus I thank you that you reveal to me your plan for my life that keeps me above all that the enemy plots against me. May I be bold to keep declaring your word and your will for my life, as you said death and life are in the power of the tongue. I choose to keep speaking life and declaring what you have promised me so that my life will not be stuck midway to the destination you have desired for me.