Day 57 — Opportunity meets Opposition
Acts 14:1-3
At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
Opposition always seemed to follow Paul and Barnabas around. Having just been chased out of Antioch, they're now up against the jealous Jewish leaders who are trying to lead the city into confusion. They aimed to take away both their reputation and their life.
We’ve all experienced days when it seems like everything’s against us. A client calls and isn’t happy with the work, the business deal falls through or you’ve been outbid on a dream house. It can feel confusing and frustrating. While these things might not always be spiritual opposition, we can count on it showing up when we share our beliefs.
Maybe you've invited a friend to church only to be quickly rejected, maybe you've extended an invitation to Alpha and ended up in a debate? Recently I offered to pray for a lady sitting next to me at the airport, she was visibly experiencing some neck pain. So I plucked up enough courage and asked if I could pray for this pain to ease. She graciously said yes and let me pray – but nothing happened! I finished praying and she quickly said, ‘Prayer doesn’t work like that’. Smiling and thanking her for her willingness, I then had to awkwardly sit beside her for the next 45 minutes waiting on luggage! Even though I have seen healings like this before, it left me feeling confused and disappointed.
Opposition always intends to distract us from who God has called us to be and what we believe. It seeks to derail us. As soon as the Jews and Greeks believed, opposition showed up to meet them.
Today we’re reminded that opposition comes because of the message we carry, the word that we believe. Although God didn't send it, he does use it to release something more. When Paul and Barnabas stood their ground, God increased his presence and multiplied grace. On the other side of this opposition was a greater release of signs and wonders.
God turns moments of trouble into places of hope.
Prayer — Thank you that you use opposition to release a greater measure of grace and power. Help us to stand firm in your word when we're left feeling frustrated and confused.
Michael Shannon
Leadership Team