JULY 29, 2024

   “Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today.” 

― Tim Fargo

PSALM 56-58

 10In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord, whose word I praise—

11in God I trust and am not afraid.

What can man do to me?

12I am under vows to you, my God;

I will present my thank offerings to you.

13For you have delivered me from death

and my feet from stumbling,

that I may walk before God in the light of life.(56:10-13)

ACTS 28:1-15

1Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.” 5But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

JOURNAL 

Be an echo of Jesus, build an outpost of Heaven

Talk about embracing the moment. To read this sounds like some kind of superhero...not a man who has been rejected by his own people who want him dead. It does not matter that he is a prisoner, it does not matter that he is heading to trial. It does not matter that they just survived a shipwreck...he is living out his mission in obedience to God regardless of the circumstances.  He has every right to be somber and feel sorry for his condition...yet here he is performing miracle after miracle all while still being a prisoner of Rome.  Paul is not waxing and waning about his release, he is not self-absorbed in his fate. He is acting in power and love right where he is.

Often I struggle with the "when I get to this point...then I'll be obedient, then I'll be generous, then I'll be loving, then I'll be courageous" mindset. Here in these verses Paul's actions dismantle this thinking. Each moment I am alive is a moment to be grateful for life, the opportunities God has given, and to live it passionately serving God in whatever circumstance I find myself. Today is as good as it gets, because today is what I have. So I am to embrace it, be grateful for it, enjoy it, indulge in God's love and he will make it great. 

4Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^a 5Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

DEUTERONOMY 6:4-9